Do you guys plan your conversations?

[Crunchyrunchy]

Say when you talk to strangers and what not..

As a conversationalist I like to further plan out my conversations with people. Meaning before I talk with someone I would first estimate what they are going to say and then I will think up my responses accordingly.

Anyone here does this?

[Guest HERMIT]

Yeah.

Sometimes I even go so far as to rig my cell phone to work as a teleprompter for all my conversational scripts.

[Crunchyrunchy]

Yeah.

Sometimes I even go so far as to rig my cell phone to work as a teleprompter for all my conversational scripts.

You john teshing awesome brah.

Please give me some tips on how to rig our cell phones to do your magic.

[Guest cheerydumdum]

yeah, i definitely do that with strangers, but i don't plan too far ahead. just enough to know i'm not going to come off as creepy or weird.

[Guest HERMIT]

Crap, wasn't expecting nor anticipating that reply.

Dangit, now you're forcing me to ad lib / resort to improv ... and I .. just.. freeze up.

Uh...

I'll get back to you.

[Guest yopidda]

Crunchy,

I think that's going overboard in prep work.

I tend to have an assortment of topics that I know we both have an interest in and then pick and choose what to talk about after I gauge their mood and interest level.

But specific answers to questions that may or may not arise..? Way too much work and you'll never cover all your bases.

Better to be fluid and go with the flow.

[Guest PinkWaffles]

I don't see how that would work unless you had a time machine and knew what the other person was going to say to give a rehearsed answer according to the topic being addressed/asked.

[lilliums]

Wow, that is impressive. I generally just build off of what the other person says, along with my own opinion.

[Guest Gofishus]

Nope. I don't think conversations should be scripted, because life isn't scripted, I just say what comes naturally to me because I think the conversation is more flowing that way. Many times I couldn't help planning out my convos because there's a girl or someone I'm nervous around, and it ends up being awkward because I keep trying to change to the next 'topic' on the script, disrupting the natural conversation flow. It's better just to not have any script, and follow your conversational instincts. 

[Mannosuke]

Nope. I don't think conversations should be scripted, because life isn't scripted, I just say what comes naturally to me because I think the conversation is more flowing that way. Many times I couldn't help planning out my convos because there's a girl or someone I'm nervous around, and it ends up being awkward because I keep trying to change to the next 'topic' on the script, disrupting the natural conversation flow. It's better just to not have any script, and follow your conversational instincts.

Some people simply cannot hold conversations or are bad at it.

We can say "well they can go die lonely because they are unfortunate" but that isn't a practical solution to the problem, although it does solve the problem.

It's like saying a speech; obviously it would be more natural if you just walked up and followed your speech-telling instincts, but a lot of people simply can't do that and therefore need to prepare a script beforehand.

It's not like you need to follow the script.

The script doesn't have to be detailed to every single word.

As long as you have a general idea what you're going to say and the kind of things you're going to say, people should be fine.

You can make a plan, but you don't have to follow it.

But that isn't the same as not bothering to make a plan in the first place.

[Guest blush]

Umm.. I plan to a degree. As in, I plan not to bring up (this topic) because I know it's sensitive to this person through rumors or whatever.

Otherwise, for complete strangers, I pretty much never think ahead and am on my toes.

[Guest zoomlo85]

Dont you guys ever notice most conversations have a similar pattern in different contexts. is just greet > small talk > stories > stories > opinions > stories > opinions > etc. i see nothing wrong with having a premade script for talking with opposite sex that is a stranger. you gotta start somewhere if you are that shy, just dont depend on it "forever" once you develop a rapport.

[NPB-XK]

I don't plan conversations because I tend to choke and sound artificial, plus, it's always gonna look like a delayed reaction... I'd rather go natural... Go with the flow... Let the poop out. Do not hold it and plan on how we'll poop it out... I'd end up constipated (that's how I'd look like if I planned my conversations).

[Guest kitty_N]

I don't plan but that's mostly b/c I don't really like to start conversations with strangers. If they talk to me, I'll be nice and respond but usually just go with what they talk about.

[Crunchyrunchy]

I don't plan but that's mostly b/c I don't really like to start conversations with strangers.  If they talk to me, I'll be nice and respond but usually just go with what they talk about.

how do you make friends?

[Guest Dew.]

I plan. Not in a 'I'll say this, then they'll say that, then I'll say..." way, but I do think of topics I can blab about in case there's a lull in the conversation. Only with unfamiliar people, of course. I'm an awkward person, and when I meet another awkward person there's just terrible, awkward silence. It's not so much a script than it is a series of prompt cards.

[Manyhx3]

Yes, especially with co-workers sometimes it's hard to come up with a topic that it's suitable. so I plan them so things wont be silence

[Guest kitty_N]

how do you make friends?

i don't. i'm a loner

[Crunchyrunchy]

i don't. i'm a loner

[Guest ecstaticstranger]

I don't care if I don't have anything to say to strangers, whatever comes to mind will be the topic of the conversation. But with the ex, I used to write down topics before I go see her, because it's quite hard to find a topic to talk about when she's around.. for some reason.