How to Fake Being an Extrovert
Stop thinking about yourself., Carry an expectation that the world is entertaining., Fill the dead air., Take initiative to change topics if the conversation flows to another thought., Don't feel like you need to prove how smart you are.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stop thinking about yourself.
As an introvert, you will have a tendency to sit back and absorb your surroundings into your train of thought to create new and interesting ideas, or ponder over and over again whether it would be okay to say words to other people, or replay that last conversation you had three days ago in order to find deeper meaning under the layers of the words, "I like apples." You must resist this urge, because it will do you no good here.
The people around you will be more interested in actually discussing social and professional topics with you, with sharing their observations and hearing your opinions.
Silence as a means of personal connection only works for telepaths and cats. -
Step 2: Carry an expectation that the world is entertaining.
Now that you’ve stopped analyzing your surroundings and yourself, you may notice a huge gap in your thoughts, a kind of empty void in your headspace where the constant stream of doubt and snarky sarcasm used to keep you silent.
Congratulations! You are now one step closer to being an extrovert.
Only now, instead of finding your own personal mental entertainment, you can begin to engage with other people who are near you.
This will involve conversing with people and trying understand that what they have to say might be as interesting as your own inner monologue.
This may seem weird at first, but this is the kind of interpersonal connection that extroverts form every day. , If there is a natural break in the conversation or a moment of silence, your first instinct will be to take the break for a nice relaxing ride on the thought train.
You must resist this urge and fill the silence by saying something – anything – and it doesn’t have to prove you are the next Plato.
Leaving huge gaps in the conversation doesn't always come across as thoughtful, intelligent, or coherent
- often, it indicates to your listener that you've checked out of the conversation and no longer consider the person with whom you are conversing to be important. , Although changing the immediate topic may seem like a bold step, sometimes, conversational flow follows an eclectic stream of consciousness.
Rather than assuming that your conversational partner will be offended by your initiative, see if they'll come along on your journey of mutual discovery.
If they wish to discuss the current topic further, they'll take it upon themselves to revisit it later. , When you’re having a conversation with a stranger, light topics are actually okay.
No one will automatically assume you're an idiot if you don't immediately start debating the merits of Sophocles over Aristotle.
The weather, the scenery, the food you're eating, the television you're watching or the book you're reading are all merely springboards for later, deeper conversation should you prove compatible conversationalists.
The observers, whom you will be fooling with this charade, will not be paying attention to the content of what you’re saying, but how you are saying it and to whom you are talking.
The more you can talk without displaying a debilitating fear of human interaction, the more of an extrovert you will appear to be.
Who knows, you might even discover that people are nice! -
Step 3: Fill the dead air.
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Step 4: Take initiative to change topics if the conversation flows to another thought.
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Step 5: Don't feel like you need to prove how smart you are.
Detailed Guide
As an introvert, you will have a tendency to sit back and absorb your surroundings into your train of thought to create new and interesting ideas, or ponder over and over again whether it would be okay to say words to other people, or replay that last conversation you had three days ago in order to find deeper meaning under the layers of the words, "I like apples." You must resist this urge, because it will do you no good here.
The people around you will be more interested in actually discussing social and professional topics with you, with sharing their observations and hearing your opinions.
Silence as a means of personal connection only works for telepaths and cats.
Now that you’ve stopped analyzing your surroundings and yourself, you may notice a huge gap in your thoughts, a kind of empty void in your headspace where the constant stream of doubt and snarky sarcasm used to keep you silent.
Congratulations! You are now one step closer to being an extrovert.
Only now, instead of finding your own personal mental entertainment, you can begin to engage with other people who are near you.
This will involve conversing with people and trying understand that what they have to say might be as interesting as your own inner monologue.
This may seem weird at first, but this is the kind of interpersonal connection that extroverts form every day. , If there is a natural break in the conversation or a moment of silence, your first instinct will be to take the break for a nice relaxing ride on the thought train.
You must resist this urge and fill the silence by saying something – anything – and it doesn’t have to prove you are the next Plato.
Leaving huge gaps in the conversation doesn't always come across as thoughtful, intelligent, or coherent
- often, it indicates to your listener that you've checked out of the conversation and no longer consider the person with whom you are conversing to be important. , Although changing the immediate topic may seem like a bold step, sometimes, conversational flow follows an eclectic stream of consciousness.
Rather than assuming that your conversational partner will be offended by your initiative, see if they'll come along on your journey of mutual discovery.
If they wish to discuss the current topic further, they'll take it upon themselves to revisit it later. , When you’re having a conversation with a stranger, light topics are actually okay.
No one will automatically assume you're an idiot if you don't immediately start debating the merits of Sophocles over Aristotle.
The weather, the scenery, the food you're eating, the television you're watching or the book you're reading are all merely springboards for later, deeper conversation should you prove compatible conversationalists.
The observers, whom you will be fooling with this charade, will not be paying attention to the content of what you’re saying, but how you are saying it and to whom you are talking.
The more you can talk without displaying a debilitating fear of human interaction, the more of an extrovert you will appear to be.
Who knows, you might even discover that people are nice!
About the Author
Susan Thomas
Brings years of experience writing about creative arts and related subjects.
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