There's an episode on the Netflix series "Master of None" where Dev goes on a second date with a woman he's really into — only to find that the two of them have nothing substantive to talk about.
It's actually hard to watch: They end up discussing the temperature of their water not once, but twice. Yikes.
As anyone who watches the show regularly knows, Dev is hardly a boring person. But as anyone who's been to even a single networking event is well aware, being an interesting individual in your own right is hardly a buffer against awkward interactions.
So it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve to deploy as soon as — or even before — a conversation hits a wall.
We checked out some relevant Quorathreads as well as other resources to find strategies for having meaningful conversations with anyone you meet. Read on to see the best of what we uncovered.
SEE ALSO: 15 ways to get better at small talk
Have some 'deep' conversation starters on hand
Don't expect substantive topics to instantly spring to mind. Instead, says Tracy Chou, a software engineer at Pinterest, you should approach any interaction with a few deep conversation starters ready to go.
Chou suggests reading some books on behavioral economics and pop psychology and talking about them, "since those subjects are fundamentally about people — and everyone is a person, has to interact with other people, and has opinions about their own behavior and other people's behavior."
She also recommends watching a few TED Talks — "another great source of cool ideas about the world." We suggest starting with some TED Talks that will make you smarter about business.
Ask questions about topics the other person is interested in
Multiple Quora users indicated that one of the best ways to start an interesting conversation is to find something the other person is excited about. Show that you want to learn more about the topic by asking a series of questions about it.
Says Tatiana Esteves: "Try picking a topic that they are really interested in and start with a normal 'shallow conversation.' Then ask quite probing question[s] even if the subject isn't that serious."
For example, Esteves says, "if they like celebrity news, ask them if they think that the 'celebrity culture' is making people less happy with their lives."
Find out what makes the other person special
Whatever you say, writes Joshua Evans, "avoid the awful opening phrase, 'What do you do?'" You'll put your conversation partner in a box where all he can talk about is his job.
Instead, Evans says you should ask, "What makes you a badass? That will induce a chuckle over drinks." You might even find out something crazy; perhaps they're a lawyer by day and a rock musician by night.
In fact, in France, asking someone what they do for a living is considered a faux pas. The French often ask each other about where they like to vacation.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider