Avoid Any Awkward Silence With These 35+ Topics to Talk About

What is the most memorable thing about going out with friends, family, and even strangers? It is always the conversation; a good conversation can leave you thinking about the experience even days after it occurred. When having conversations, especially with strangers, it could be fairly easy to run out of topics to talk about. Natural conversation is fueled by good topics and a genuine interest in what the other person has to say. Being able to have a good, natural flowing conversation will not only change the person’s view of you but will also motivate them to want to talk to you.

Conversation Tips

Having conversations with people is our most basic social need. We all crave conversation and someone to connect with genuinely. Unfortunately, having a natural and easy conversation is much easier said than done for most of us due to social media. We have forgotten how to interact with people face to face.

Here Are Some Conversation Tips That Will Help

Make Strong Eye Contact

Making eye contact will show the other person that you are genuinely interested in having a conversation with them and put them at ease.

Ask Engaging Questions

By asking engaging questions, you maintain a steady flow of conversation that the other person will enjoy. Asking engaging questions will show the other person that you are interested in getting to know them.

Embrace Small Talk

While many people aren’t big fans of small talk, it is both functional and necessary. It is fairly easy to maintain and allows you to talk about anything, often leading to much deeper conversations. 

Be Careful of Making Jokes That Can be Perceived as Insensitive

Be careful of the type of joke that you are making. We’ve all sat around a dinner table, and conversation is going well until your funky uncle makes an inappropriate or insensitive joke and the whole table falls to deathly silence. It’s always better to keep your jokes neutral because you never know what could possibly trigger the other person.

Listen to What the Other Person is Saying

It is always important to listen to what the other person is saying. We all treasure those conversations where you can genuinely tell they are paying attention. Listening with intent will show you truly care about what they are saying. It makes the conversation so much more memorable while making you feel special.

Express Yourself Openly and Honestly

It’s always better to show the other person the authentic version of you. It will make conversation easier, it will make you more confident, and you will be able to have much more interesting in-depth discussions.

Avoid Making Judgements

Making judgments will make the person you’re having a conversation with more reluctant to open up to you and they will most likely not enjoy the conversation. By avoiding judgments, you set a person at ease to share whatever they please with you.

Topics to Talk About

There are a wide variety of topics on which to converse. Selecting broad-spectrum discussion topics and branching out from them will make it easier for you to execute an enjoyable and meaningful conversation with someone.

Here Are Some Topics to Help You Lead a Good Conversation

Weather and Seasons

This is a very common topic of conversation. People would use it to escape awkward silence in most cases, but they often neglect the interesting questions.

Here are a Few Examples

• What are your favorite summer activities?
• Do you travel to escape the cold?
• What do you think about the weather currently?
• What is your favorite activity to do when it is raining?
• What is your favorite season?
• Do you have any plans for the summer vacation?

Work and School

Work and studies are a fairly important topic of conversation, we spend a third of our time at work or busy with studies. It’s always good to converse about work, you learn to see a whole different side of the person you are talking to based on how they feel about their career.

Here are a Few Examples

• In what line of work are you?
• What is your favorite part about your job?
• What motivated you to get into that field/industry?
• What are your goals in terms of growth in your field/industry?
• Do you get along with your colleagues/peers?
• Do you like your field of study?/ Do you like the company you work for?

Movies and Television

Knowing what kind of cinematic entertainment someone is into, tells you a lot about who that person truly is. It will also give you a basic idea of compatibility with the other person.

Here are a Few Examples

• What is a movie you loved as a child?
• Name one movie that made you cry, and why did it make you cry?
• What is one movie or television show that impacted your life in a positive way?
• What is your favorite movie of all time?
• What is one movie or television show that you’ve wanted to watch but haven’t gotten around to yet?
• What is the worst movie that you have ever seen?

Travel

We all love to travel and see the world. There is nothing better than experiencing different countries and cultures but no two people want to go to the same places for the same reasons. Travel is always a really interesting topic of conversation.

Here are a Few Examples

• Do you like to travel?
• Where is one place in the world that you would like to travel to, and, why?
• What is your favorite mode of traveling?
• If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would your dream vacation look like?
• What are the top three places you have traveled to?
• What is your favorite travel story?

Relationship

In relationships, conversations can be quite difficult too, lack of communication and proper conversation can lead your significant other to feeling like you don’t care. It is important to foster healthy conversations with your partner.

Here are a Few Examples

• How do you feel best supported in difficult times?
• What do you wish people better understood about you?
• What small joys add a little bit of light to your day?
• What can I do to make you feel less stressed during the day?
• Is there anything that you need help with during your days?
• How can I help make your ‘alone time’ more enjoyable for you?

Getting to Know Someone

When you’re getting to know someone, there are a lot of vital questions to ask, these questions will help you determine if this person is truly a good match for you. Not asking the right questions can lead to many issues down the line. Most people have conversations about the wrong things when getting to know a person and, later down the line they complain that they barely know the person that they are with. To avoid going down that road, it is important to discuss all of the important themes during your first conversation.

Here are a Few Examples

• What are your goals for the near future?
• Do you have anything you want to achieve in the next five years?
• How did you experience growing up in your family and how has that molded you into who you are today?
• What line of work are you in?
• What inspires you to get out of bed in the morning?
• What makes life worth living for you?

There are many different topics of conversation that could be explored, you just have to be open to exploring them. Talking about different topics allows you to learn something new about the person you are talking to or, even about an interest of theirs that you might possibly share. It’s important to be honest and open during your conversations if you want to form genuine connections with the person you are trying to get to know. Being able to remain vulnerable during a conversation will open up new doors to deeper conversations if you allow it.

Conclusion

The most memorable part of human interaction is the conversations that we have. The knowledge we share and the memories that it creates stick with us for a lifetime. It’s important to remain open-minded during every conversation that you will have with someone. Maintaining strong eye contact and attentively listening to the person you are having a conversation with will help foster a connection that could potentially keep growing past friendships. Being able to have a natural flowing conversation will make the interaction much more enjoyable for both parties involved. Good conversation creates memorable experiences in life.