How would you evaluate your own social skills?

[damnromulans]

This has been on my mind since yesterday when I was talking over brunch with a friend about how we feel like as we get older, our ability to operate smoothly in new/uncomfortable social situations just goes down the toilet.

If you asked me a year or two ago I'd say I was "above average" in dealing with people, but these days I just feel crippling awkwardness/misanthropy when I see people I sort of know but have nothing to say to, and my instinct is to ignore them. I also suffer from diarrhea of the mouth and find myself babbling a lot, something I haven't had a problem with since middle school. When I look for jobs online I click "next" if the phrase "team player" pops up.

How about you guys? Are you socially inept or graceful at navigating people?

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I don't meet people.

 

[mutantllama]

What are people?

 

[muzmaze]

people suck!

I don't go out of my way to meet people or socialize with the best of them. However, my work environment and job-field changed a few years ago and this has drastically changed things socially. Being in the medical mental health field now has obviously allowed me to be social with fellow staff / co-workers, patients, just more personable...overall a positive change. But outside of work as far as going out socializing...I still kinda just sitback and observe. I feel its more important to listen to people than to overdue it with the talk talk talk. My wife does plenty of the blabbing anyway lol.

 

[Einherjar86]

I am the awesome with people. My humor is the awesome with people. I pretty much can sex any people I want, because my humor and personality is so awesome. I am so awesome, I can dialogue about anything with the people. My dialogue is awesome. With people. I swim and dance with people so awesome it's like sexing with dolphins. It's the awesome.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

terrible. I hate people, I just dont give a shit.

 

[Vossyrus]

As I get older I feel like I am also drifting further apart. Maybe this is because as I get older I become more in tune with who I am as a person and delve deeper into particular interests of mine, which aren't that common with most.

Even if I see a potential opportunity arise for me to strike up a conversation or befriend someone, these days I am far more likely to refrain from initiating any sort of convo, unless the other person does first. Even then, it's hard for me to share anything with those who have very casual interests and see things on a very surface level, which is unfortunately most people, so I'd rather just pass on the opportunity than force a lackluster conversation. I'm much better at "reading" people and listening than I am at relating to them and making conversation.

 

[Episteme]

I am fairly social when it comes to having to meet people. I'm definitely not one to be the life of the party but I can still hold conversation and small talk, however it really depends on the sort of mood I'm in and who I'm with. Working in a bar, especially when it's not busy and you only have a few customers sitting at the bar kinda forces you to be a little more social and to be able to carry a pointless conversation sometimes.

I'm taking the opportunity to try and be a little more social now because after breaking up with my recent girlfriend I felt that my self-esteem was shattered, especially when talking to women. I'm picking myself up lately and I've gained that confidence slightly.

 

[muzmaze]

terrible. I hate people, I just dont give a shit.

now thats great social skills...as well a great sig for ya right there!

 

[Kulak]

I used to find it awkward meeting new people...I only really trusted a few friends but as I got older and went to university my social skills improved quite a bit...still some awkwardness I guess but I can bypass that.

 

[Kulak]

I used to be scared to be myself...but now I do not give a fuck
If you don’t like me for whom I am then you can suck my balls.

 

[SomeGuyDude]

I'm not particularly social in that I'm not one who goes around seeking out social experiences, but I'm AMAZINGLY personable and have never had a problem making friends wherever I go. It's what happens when every job you've ever had (retail, bouncer, bartender, counselor) requires you to be able to connect with people within moments of meeting them.

 

[Valerie]

My social skills is something that I know I am good in. I have looked at a 1,000 situations from every perspective imagineable. I have measured reactions, expressions, - body language etc.... I have studied what makes people interesting.

 

[Pessimism]

I figure I come off as friendly enough, I never usually have problems unless the person is stuck up in a way.

I guess it would be easier to just have Grant or Unknown judge whether or not I have decent social skills, since they were the first people I blindly met off this forum.

My social skills is something that I know I am good in. I have looked at a 1,000 situations from every perspective imagineable. I have measured reactions, expressions, - body language etc.... I have studied what makes people interesting.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Complete failure. When people say hi to me I reply in a monotone voice without looking at who said it. When people invite me to anything, from a coffee break to a dance I always say no. I rarely laugh, and if I do, I probably shouldn't. If I'm in a talkative mood I can carry a decent five minute conversation about cartoons or video games, but no more. I'm most talkative when people ask me a question regarding class/lab, and when I'm asked something the reply is usually "Wow, that's the most I've ever heard you speak", and sometimes followed with a "Well, thanks for the help anyways" as if I don't sound confident in my reply despite it being one of the few things I am confident in. I am an abject failure of all things social.

 

[Cythraul]

My social skills is something that I know I am good in. I have looked at a 1,000 situations from every perspective imagineable. I have measured reactions, expressions, - body language etc.... I have studied what makes people interesting.

fucking excellent

 

[Jimmy... Dead.]

Strippers tell me I'm really cool and funny.

 

[unknown]

Pessimism is fit to engage with society

in regards to myself, I'm pretty good with people. I've unfortunately had to learn how to do this with my jobs. Being a cashier for a few years makes you learn how to chit chat with people. My current job involves me getting up infront of college students and being okay with making an ass out of myself

so I have no problems interacting with people. given the choice, I'd rather not, but it can't be avoided sometimes

 

[Hubster]

As I get older I feel like I am also drifting further apart. Maybe this is because as I get older I become more in tune with who I am as a person and delve deeper into particular interests of mine, which aren't that common with most.

Even if I see a potential opportunity arise for me to strike up a conversation or befriend someone, these days I am far more likely to refrain from initiating any sort of convo, unless the other person does first. Even then, it's hard for me to share anything with those who have very casual interests and see things on a very surface level, which is unfortunately most people, so I'd rather just pass on the opportunity than force a lackluster conversation. I'm much better at "reading" people and listening than I am at relating to them and making conversation.

This is a similar path I've been going on too. I was much more social when I was in my 20's, but now in my mid-later 30's, I've become far more picky about speaking with people.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

I get that feeling and I'm only 22. Fuuuu.