When there are awkward gaps in the conversation, I never know how to fill the void. But after the dry conversation, my brain fills with millions of potential topics, leaving me to imagine the wonderful conversation that could have taken place.
But don’t worry, you can overcome conversational interruptions by using these 9 great conversation starters:
1. Talk about your hobbies
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“Eh?” you’re going to say, “talk about my hobbies? It takes me a few seconds to list all my hobbies, and then what, fall back into silence? »
Please listen to me. Talking about your hobbies does not imply a dry and simple list. Go deep!
Think about the 5 Ws: who, what, when, where and why.
Potential hobby topics/questions are: Who do you practice your hobby with? What is your hobby? How often do you pursue this interest? Where do you practice/pursue your hobby? Why do you like this activity?
Let’s take tennis as an example: you could tell them that your hobby is playing tennis with your friends at school, that you play tennis once a week and that you like tennis because it’s competitive .
Plus, you can compare your interests and even try a new activity.
2. Ethical dilemmas
As ethical dilemmas are highly contentious, people will be very passionate about their side of the argument, ensuring an engaging and flowing conversation.
You can select an ethical dilemma/situation (here are some ethical dilemmas), discuss your view on the topic and support your view with evidence.
By engaging in a discussion of ethics, you will not only stop the gaps in the conversation, but you will also realize your own morality and understand someone else’s values.
3. Your background
The context involves your childhood and your past. You can present basic facts about where you were born, when you were born, where you grew up, etc.
You can also share funny, embarrassing and sad childhood stories. For example, tell them about the time your kindergarten teacher yelled at you for doing the coloring sheet in graphite pencil instead of colored pencil (definitely not personal experience).
Additionally, you might reflect on how your nature/culture has formed your identity today.
4. Entertainment
Entertainment is a wonderful topic of conversation because everyone consumes entertainment to some degree.
You can suggest entertainment platforms and programs to each other. You can also share your opinion about movies and music you have in common.
Moreover, you can talk about your favorite actors, singers and dancers and exchange videos of their performances.
5. The world of fashion
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The fashion world is constantly changing, which makes it an interesting topic of conversation. If you’re a fashionista, you might want to praise the fashion shows/designers you love. If the person(s) you are conversing with has less knowledge of fashion, enlighten them.
Additionally, you might want to discuss fashion history, research 1970s clothing and “oo, and ah” over it (I love doing that!).
You can also discuss current fashion trends or predict future fashion trends.
Plus, celebrities are super influential in fashion. Therefore, you can discuss the different fashion styles of celebrities (the Met Gala outfit is swoon-worthy).
Also, coming closer to “entertainment”, you can talk about clothes/costumes worn in movies or theater performances.
6. Adventure
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If you have a taste for adventure, this is the conversation starter for you!
Give them detailed accounts of your past adventures: exciting camps, spontaneous road trips, etc., and tell them about the activities you’ve done, and all the wonderful sights you’ve seen. And, you might want to suggest vacation spots and activities to each other.
Plus, you can share your future travel plans by discussing what adventures you’re saving up for and places you want to visit. If you find an adventure buddy in the person you’re chatting with, you might have a travel buddy!
On the other hand, adventure doesn’t always mean sunshine and rainbows, and some people don’t get as much enjoyment out of travel.
Even so, adventure can still be a great conversation starter. You might complain about each other about trips that went badly or ones you looked down on. For example, I could complain about my compulsory school camp, where I couldn’t shower for 7 out of 10 days, and we had to go to the toilet in the forest. (although I’m still grateful to have been there!)
7. Food (Because we are all foodies.)
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Yum! I like food! Especially sushi and salty crackers.
With this topic, you can discuss your favorite and less favorite foods and restaurants. Discover the best restaurants! Plus, if you love to cook, you can chat about your favorite recipes, secret cooking techniques, and chefs you admire.
You can also link to “entertainment” and talk about cooking shows like “Master Chef.”
8. Your personality
Everyone has a unique personality, making personality a very relevant topic of conversation. You could take a fun personality test with your mate on 16personalities.com and then discuss your respective results.
Plus, you might compare your personality to the stereotypical personality of your zodiac sign and laugh it off a bit. (as an Aries, I certify that I am neither violent nor angry)
9. Family
Talking about your family is also a great way to interrupt the conversation.
If you run out of things to share about yourself, just redirect the conversation to your family. You can even apply the above 9 topics to each member of your family. For example, “My sister’s favorite food is ice cream.” It’s simple, I’m right!
Also, you could talk about your relationships with your family members.
Who are you closest to? Who do you spend the most time with? Who has been the most influential on you? Who does the pet love the most? (undoubtedly you, I’m sure.)
I hope these 9 conversation starters are helpful! In the end, when there is a pause in the conversation, the most important thing to do is to be yourself and talk about what matters to you!
