Live data from Hacker News

Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

improveyoursocialskills.com

341–350 of 440 posts

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Even the simple act of two people wanting to go through the same door at the same time is an impossible conundrum. Tangential, but I hit this issue very often with couple of friends during university years; two of us wanted to go through a door, and get stuck in a "you go", "no, you go", "I insist" loop. At some point I said, "you know what, let's do rock-paper-scissors, if you lose you go first". It immediately ca…

> Even the simple act of two people wanting to go through the same door at the same time is an impossible conundrum. I believe that the optimal solution to this problem is to offer, and then if there is a counter-offer, take it. If the other person is offended then they have followed the letter of the social law but do not understand it in their hearts. In addition, it is often polite to take what is offered to you.

it's not just polite to accept offers. It allows the other person to feel good for the act of giving.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by "extreme consequences" for mistakes in social situations?

For awhile now, everyone has been one viral moment away from mob justice. You might lose your career, or you might get harassed day and night, or worse just for slighting the wrong person. But you also can't opt out of online socializing if you want to meet and keep in touch with people.

This is ridiculous. R Kelly performed for years as a known pedophile with an adoring fan base. Cancel culture is mostly a myth. You’d have to do something pretty damn bad, way worse than “slighting”, for your behavior to go viral enough you’re “harassed day and night”.

Social rejection is how you learn to be social, and it ain’t gonna ruin your life. It’s just painful.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#343

While some of you may make light of the fact that I am giving you advice, my single most important piece of advice to people who are highly analytical and/or always solving problems is to not give unsolicited advice to friends, family, acquaintances, or even strangers. People will ask for advice if they really want it. People are not “broken pieces of code” begging to be fixed. I’ve lost friends over this, until one…

Many people view this as wanting to help solve a problem. Many people it in a much less benign manner, and in fact view it as a possible sign of pride, arrogance, and (past a certain point or in extreme cases) delusion on the part of the speaker if they keep trying to give advice on matters where they aren’t qualified, or without giving the right attention to the context, or taking into account other issues they may…

The last part seems on point. I imagine a lot of advice people give is pretty obvious and the person with the problem has already considered it but can't action it because of some other reason the advice giver didn't think of and the person giving advice is sick of having to explain why all of the suggestions given will not work.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#344

While some of you may make light of the fact that I am giving you advice, my single most important piece of advice to people who are highly analytical and/or always solving problems is to not give unsolicited advice to friends, family, acquaintances, or even strangers. People will ask for advice if they really want it. People are not “broken pieces of code” begging to be fixed. I’ve lost friends over this, until one…

This is especially important with your spouse/partner/significant other. At the beginning of our relationship, I can't tell you how many times I heard, "I'm not asking for you to solve my problem, I just want you to listen!" It can be frustrating, I know, but just shut up and be there for the person that just needs you to be there.

Its easier to just date someone who likes having problems solved.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#345

While some of you may make light of the fact that I am giving you advice, my single most important piece of advice to people who are highly analytical and/or always solving problems is to not give unsolicited advice to friends, family, acquaintances, or even strangers. People will ask for advice if they really want it. People are not “broken pieces of code” begging to be fixed. I’ve lost friends over this, until one…

Sounds like the people you hang out with are narcissistic assholes. Maybe they have something to do with your predicament.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#346
post #168

I read some "pick up artist" literature in college: about two thirds of it is misogynistic garbage, but the remainder has some good tips on general platonic social interaction (and a major issue with insecure men is learning to interact with women in a casual platonic way without acting odd and creepy because they are hoping for more). - If you aren't good at speaking in a captivating way, literally write out your be…

>Everyone likes talking about themselves I do not.

Are you sure?

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#347
post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've started to ask my girlfriend if "she wants me to solve her problem" or just "want me to listen" quite often. If you tend to fall into this trap, like I do, I can really recommend this approach.

And how does she respond to you usually?

Almost always she just wants me to listen.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#348

You can read all that, or, just spend some time around functional adults. These are problems born of children being stuck with other children and having little exposure to a variety of adults. We're much better at copying what others do, than internalizing rules spread out over 20+ pages (why is this done?)

In order to “just spend some time around functional adults”, you're expected to be “functional” yourself. If you don't have social skills, it's way harder to “just” do things around people, both because of your limitations and their expectations.

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#349
post #329
post #168

I read some "pick up artist" literature in college: about two thirds of it is misogynistic garbage, but the remainder has some good tips on general platonic social interaction (and a major issue with insecure men is learning to interact with women in a casual platonic way without acting odd and creepy because they are hoping for more). - If you aren't good at speaking in a captivating way, literally write out your be…

My cube was an ice cube that melted (we're in a desert) before I got to the ladder question. Trying to figure out what that says about me...

You're a smart aleck who likes to break things by bending rules? /s

More seriously, start off cold but adapt to your surroundings and warm up quickly?

Re: Basic Social Skills Guide (2012)

#350

While some of you may make light of the fact that I am giving you advice, my single most important piece of advice to people who are highly analytical and/or always solving problems is to not give unsolicited advice to friends, family, acquaintances, or even strangers. People will ask for advice if they really want it. People are not “broken pieces of code” begging to be fixed. I’ve lost friends over this, until one…

You noted the irony that you're giving us advice about not giving advice. But there's actually a double irony because you're giving advice about not giving advice due to your friend giving you advice about not giving advice.

The difference, as I see it, is between giving a general advice and giving advice as a response to someone venting about something. There is no problem with telling, "I have learned that X", or "in my experience X is a good thing to do when Y". The problem is when you answer with, "you should do X" when someone tell you about a problem they have without asking for help with solving the problem.

It is even a difference between me saying something like: "The way this work in javascript sucks", which clearly is venting. And: "the way this work in javascript is so confusing, can you help me understand it?" Someone writing a blog-post about how this work is of course also advice, but not as a direct answer to someone venting about it.

Meta, I know the sentence structure wasn't the best, but I don't want help with improving it right now

Post reply on HN