Page 158 - SpontaneousSuccessMatos

good pet-friendly cafes nearby?” Or at a party: "How do
you know the host?” can lead to unexpected friendships
and lucky breaks. But if you‘ve ever been on the subway
or in an elevator, you know the rules. Don‘t make eye
contact, stay as far away from other people as you can,
and whatever you do, don‘t talk to strangers.
But what if the rules are wrong?
Encounters like these happen every day, as long as
someone is willing to speak up. Once you make the move
and speak up, look for common ground. Common
ground is the holy grail of talking to strangers. The
moment you find it, you have a bond. The pressure is off,
and you can share your stories, your ideas, and your
casual chitchat. However, skip the step of finding
common ground, and you‘re playing with fire.
Think of all the people you ignore in a day, a week, or
a year. The fellow commuters you never bother talking
to, all those people you didn‘t say hello to at that party
last Saturday, the neighbors you never greet, the friendly
faces at your place of worship whose eye contact you
avoid, the co-workers you see floating around the office
and choose to ignore, the three old guys sitting at the
table next to you at the café fixing the world’s problems.
In my experience, making an instant face-to-face
connection with any one of them could have a life-
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