Sometimes being on the social map can be very difficult and taxing. I mean, how can you keep up with conversations with people that you barely know about and not bore them to death? Worse if you are having your first conversation ever with someone. It can be very stressful to talk to someone impromptu and have a fruitful conversation which is why you need to always have conversation starters at the back of your head that will help you sail through conversations. If the social scene is a bit hard for you and you need help sailing through it, here are some icebreaker conversation starters you can keep in mind.
Ask Them About Themselves
There is no better way to start a conversation than to ask people about themselves. Naturally, it's something that would be comfortable for them since it's a topic that they are well familiar with. It also shows your interest in knowing the people around you, making them more comfortable than if you had started talking all about yourself instead. Moreso, this helps to set the precedence for the rest of the conversation as you will be able to pick up on the things that the person you are conversing with enjoys talking about. This will, therefore, create a pathway for a flowing conversation, helping to break the ice.
Travel Experiences
Travelling is such a beautiful experience and it is even more beautiful to share it with the people around you. Ask the person you are conversing with about the travelling experiences and you will see how the nostalgia will get them smiling and chatting away in no time. If they have never travelled before, ask about places that they wish to travel to and indulge their dreams to get them feeling comfortable and ready to talk about other things. Talking about travelling experiences and sharing your travel stories is a great way for you to connect with your counterpart, paving the way to a good conversation that is tension-free.
Food
Who doesn't love a good plate of food? I'm pretty sure food is one of the most commonly liked things on the planet, which makes it a good conversation icebreaker. Ask the person you want to talk to about food, focusing on their favourite cuisine and what they would die snacking on right now. By making this casual conversation and talking about something that can be easily resonated with by whoever you are talking to, you are most likely to have broken the ice and have a better conversation streak afterwards.
Goals
Asking about someone’s goals is something that will easily light them up and evoke them due to the passion they likely have for their goals. Make sure to phrase the question in an indirect way that won't make them feel like they have to impress you or they feel like they are being interrogated. You may lightly ask things like, “What are you planning on doing for yourself shortly?”. This will help you build up to asking about goals, taking the conversation to a more diplomatic turn without any tension involved.
Pet Peeves
As a control measure, you must ask the person you are conversing with about the things that annoy them the most. This won't only add a boatload of humour to the conversations but it will also help you to identify any behavioural traits that you may have conveyed that would have annoyed them, making the conversation weird and icey. Add humour to their answer and laugh these things off with them, while adding your pet peeves so that you can enjoy your interaction while getting to know them a bit better.
Technology
Technology is a basic conversation starter that you can make use of if you want to break the ice in a conversation. This is especially a good conversation premise for people who don't enjoy talking about themselves. So whether you are relating to your lack of technological skills, the advancement of technological systems or any other technological trends, talking about technology could give you a great icebreaker for starting a conversation. After all, you can't just start by digging into someone's personal life, so by starting with general conversation points like technology, you'll pave the way to a good conversation that won't seem imposed or forced.
Social Media Trends
In the present-day world, social media is one of the ever-so-trending topics. From news trending on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram, you won't go ten feet without seeing someone scrolling through social media or even discussing it. Therefore, by starting the conversation with this topic, it is more likely that the person you are talking to will relate to you, paving the way to an easy and unforced conversation. Just make sure that whatever topic you pick is not political as this may lead to tension, making the conversation weird. Just stick to the fun side of social media, like memes, so that you can first study the person you are talking to before building up from this and talking about more things.
Culture
Although this is a tricky conversation starter, if you steer it well, you will be able to have a good conversation, breaking the ice between you and the person you intend on talking to. You can start by being interested in their take on culture and adding your perspective while being mindful so that you don't oppose them and make them feel judged. This way, you can have a smooth conversation that will not only be an icebreaker but will add to your personal growth by opening up your mind to a different and fresher perspective on things.