Social gatherings are an awkward time, especially for people with no friends. It can seem a strange and hostile environment, where weeping into the salsa is upsetting for the other guests.

When everyone is paired or grouped off, it can be intimidating to inject yourself amongst them, but this is exactly what you must do, and here’s how you must do it:

The Sidle

When people talk, they are often close to one another, shutting others out, but still maintaining their own personal space.

To break into the inner circle, slowly insinuate yourself between the Talkers, making only gradual movements, so they are unaware of your looming form. The Talkers will soon unwittingly step aside, making room for you to penetrate the group, wondering why they feel so uncomfortable.

This can be a long and painful process, sometimes taking up to half an hour. There have been occasions where the Talkers have disassembled before I was able to infiltrate their ranks, but patience remains the key. Avoid breathing on anyone’s neck, or the urge to whisper hypnotic suggestions beneath the hum of conversation; I find this only escalates their already heightened sense of unease.

Everyone’s personal space diameter is different; some are even smaller than the person themselves, so remain calm if you end up wedged between a married couple. The situation is not dissimilar from sinking in a sandpit, where wild motions lead to death/social exclusion.

Words that describe actions to avoid

1. Jostling
2. Dancing
3. Pumping
4. Naked

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Tags: awkward, awkwardhoward, awkwardness, dating, embarrassed, group, guide, how to integrate into a conversation, howard, howto, interrupt, ladies, make conversation, party, success, talk, women
Categories: Advice

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.