There is only one true luxury, that of human relationships.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It is not a secret that any interaction between people is built on constant communication. And the effectiveness of this communication is determined by how sociable you are. But how to become more sociable if communication skills are not your cup of tea?

What is sociability and what are its benefits?

Only having identified the concept of sociability, it is possible to draw any conclusions.

Sociability is an ability to find common ground with another person; a talent to find the right words in different situations and express one’s thoughts clearly, without constraint or anxiety.

Of course, each of us has a certain circle of friends, and when communicating with them, we display all of the above behaviors. But as soon as we have to meet new people, communication barriers start to hinder our interaction with them.

Then sociability has a lot to do with the ability to find a common ground with newly met people. Perhaps you will ask: why would I need to develop this skill? Here are a few benefits of becoming more sociable:

  • The ability to articulate thoughts, voice them without fear, and find the right words, even in unusual situations, is the key to career promotion. Sociability is a skill that is necessary for success in many professional areas because many job positions will require you to communicate with clients, partners, colleagues, and potential customers. This is when sociability, coupled with a friendly attitude, can help you build promising professional relationships.
  • Sociability is a way of expression, which allows you to earn the respect of other people.
  • According to research, sociability helps relieve stress and bad mood.

Of course, many people are born with a talent for communication, but those who are not can learn how to become more sociable.

So, how to become more sociable?

It is unlikely that we find a universal solution that would work for everyone.

Psychologists point out cases when people go to work as salespeople in order to be in constant contact with complete strangers and learn how to become more sociable. Others go to group classes of interest, such as dancing or sports. And still, there are others who go to special courses.

Remember that your sociability level is affected by a variety of factors: communication barriers, self-esteem, inability to express your thoughts clearly, and sometimes unwillingness to communicate.

Here are a few tips to help you become more sociable:

1. Constantly improve yourself.

Devote some time to improving your mind, spirit, and body, and strive to boost your performance in the activities you are interested in. This will give you self-confidence and help you to cope with awkwardness when dealing with people, even strangers.

2. Develop your communication skills in indirect social interaction: by phone and online.

Here you can find new friends around the world through common interests. As a rule, communicating without direct eye contact is easier even for the most socially anxious people. So you will learn to express your thoughts, drop the constraint, and communicate more easily.

3. Improve your speaking skills – your thoughts should be clearly articulated.

Intonation also has considerable importance. If you are not sure that you do it well, practice in front of a mirror, as many people do before a public performance. Read as many quality and interesting books as you can.

Thus, you will expand your horizons and discover a lot of interesting things. You will unconsciously reproduce the style of speech, language, and vocabulary learned from these books. You will find that being sociable is easier when you can express yourself so exquisitely and talk about a variety of topics.

4. Be friendly, and people will like you.

Other people also can experience anxiety and constraint when dealing with a stranger. But if you show an open and friendly attitude and smile, you will support them and make the contact easier for both of you.

5. Think up a few sentences to start a conversation.

For example, you are going to meet new people at a social event. Starting a conversation is always more difficult than maintaining it. Most of the people around you will appreciate it if you take an initiative and start a dialogue.

As a rule, all communication barriers disappear if people are interested in each other. As soon as you find a common passion or a curious topic to talk about, constraint, anxiety, and uncertainty disappear.

Remember that all people are interesting in their own way because they are all remarkably different, but at the same time, they have something in common with you, so you always have something to say to each other.


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