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Many of us are missing out on something really important: the meaningful connections we make with “strangers” everyday. In my mind, no one is a total stranger once you have spoken to them for more than 5 minutes, and feel comfortable enough to continue from there. If you find anyone interesting enough to speak with them for 5 minutes or more, then they become less of a stranger.
There are things within a 5 minute words interchange that can go way beyond the mundane “How are you” – “I’m fine” meaningless exchange. A meaningful connection creates space to actually find out what another person is about; to extend the conversation to a place of creating a bond of sorts.
Humans, myself included, are sometimes more comfortable sharing with a stranger or acquaintance than with those closest to us.
How many of us have found ourselves telling someone we just met casually in public something that was weighing heavily on our minds?
Humans are wired to share and interact. When we feel safe to do so, and the opportunity arises, we do just that!
And it can feel good to communicate with someone who we have no history with, someone who is only seeing us from the framework that we choose to share in that moment.
While our friendships and family relationships are important, they can also be biased because of our shared experiences. What we tell each other are framed by the context of what we’ve shared in the past and our collective experiences, making it difficult to be objective.
For example, if we are relating something new about our dating life, they have existing knowledge about our dating history, including the pains, disappointments, and also the triumphs. It is likely that this conversation will conjure up past things we may not wish to revisit.
Conversely, when speaking with a stranger about a recent date, they are unlikely to remind us of past mishaps. We may be able to have a meaningful conversation within the context of the present instead of the past.
Moments like these give us a chance to be more open, as strangers are less likely to present judgement or unsolicited commentary. We can share freely about what’s on our mind in the moment, and this in itself is a freeing feeling. And this is where the “meaningfulness” arises in these types of random encounters and conversations with strangers, which can be good for our mental well being too.
Sometimes, quick yet meaningful connections can be as gratifying as close friendships. The former may represent intimacy in a shorter duration, but is still worthy in and of itself. At the very least, they can be interesting, likely memorable, and beautiful. And some of those meaningful connective moments can even morph into the long-lasting friendships that so many of us desire.
Blog Image Description: This is purely graphics, not a real life picture. Upon a white background is an oversized heart shape, in full, bright red, and 5 tiny “heart shaped” leaves around it. The leaves are light gray in color with red “veins”, and of two sizes-small and double in size. At the bottom of this oversized heart, there is a woman with long curly black hair in a sitting position with her knees bent and her hands upon her legs. She seems to wear a look of contentment upon her face.
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