Talking to Strangers

11/04/2016

To have self-knowledge is to be filled with wonder, adventure, curiosity, and creativity. We must understand the importance of this concept if we are to be successful as leaders.
Maurice Sykes, The Art of Leadership: Leading Early Childhood Organizations

In When Strangers Meet (Simon & Schuster, 2016), Kio Stark challenges us to overcome our fears of talking to strangers.

"Random encounters can be surprisingly beneficial. Specifically the kinds that occur when you strike up a casual conversation with someone in an elevator or ask directions on the street... It can be extremely rewarding—and even intimate—to talk to someone without encountering the kinds of preconceived notions that come with friends and spouses. Moreover, studies show that repeated exposure to and connection with people outside our bubble can make us more accepting of difference. That’s good for society because it leads us away from fear and toward openness, cooperation, and genuine understanding.

"Whatever you find, and wherever you think it comes from, one thing is certain: we are surrounded by individuals, not categories. There are adventures to be had here, adventures you can set out for every day of your life. To really understand how you divide the world, to use your senses to choose whom to make familiar, and to stop and say hello to a stranger, these bold acts can transform your emotional experience of the public world. And you can transform the public world, itself, right along with you."

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