Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [strangers]

Questions about interacting with people you are not familiar with.

This tag can be used for the questions about interacting with people you're not familiar with. Such questions can also be tagged with location tags such as or if they require answers specific to a region.

111 questions
109
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8 answers

How can I tactfully refuse to switch seats on flights?

On flights, seatmates (strangers near my seat) have asked me to swap my aisle seat (reserved in advance, sometimes paid for), usually to my disadvantage as their seat has some snag (dirtier, narrower, too close to lavatory). I usually answer 'Sorry,…
NNOX Apps
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94
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17 answers

How to handle people blocking your view and breaking the rules at the theater by not sitting in their assigned seats?

A while ago, my parents/brothers and I went to visit a theatre performance (in The Netherlands, where we live). We booked really nice first class tickets with empty seats in front of us. We booked them very last-minute, hoping we would be lucky, and…
Tinkeringbell
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13 answers

Responding to being told to "smile" by a stranger?

This seems to be a fairly common scenario. Since I don't work in a public environment anymore, it's been something that hasn't crossed my mind in a long while. However, today while paying for a few items at the gas station the guy working the…
Jess K.
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64
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9 answers

How to make clear to people I don't want to answer their "Where are you from?" question?

I live in the UK but am not originally from here, having moved in the last decade. Quite often when I talk to people I get asked where I'm from. It usually seems to be in response to my accent, as I'm white, and since it's not a commonly heard…
George T
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63
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9 answers

How do I handle strangers who want to "borrow" a cigarette and give nothing in return?

I'm a Spanish 26 year old guy. I have the appearance of what people would call "loser good guy", so when I'm hanging out (mainly at night clubs) it's really frequent people ask out for a cigarette (especially girls who make it pretty clear they are…
Alexander Aeons Torn
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60
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4 answers

Dismissing a stranger asking for help without being dismissive of their possible situation?

For some background into the layout of where this situation takes place, my apartment complex has it's own dog park. Within a few hundred feet of the dog park is a large and spacious public park, surrounded by tall prairie grass. Situation Recently…
Jess K.
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59
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5 answers

Which pitfalls should I watch out for when meeting my half-brother who hasn't been aware of my existence for 25 years?

I've been adopted at early age and have no recollection of my biological parents. My adoptive parents have told me at a young age that I was adopted. Because this fact became integrated into my life so early on, it was a very normal subject for me…
Marc Dingena
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56
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11 answers

Can I correct other people's children in front of them?

I am a childless female 20-something who occasionally comes in to contact with other people's children. This happens anywhere really, at work, stores, museums, movie theatres, just around the neighborhood. And sometimes these children are being…
km678
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56
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8 answers

How to politely receive someone when you don't know how to pronounce their name?

The situation is a one-on-one meeting with someone I have never met before. I don't know much about that guest, just their profession or connection to our organization, not even if they are from a different country. That means, that I don't know…
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
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54
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8 answers

How should I tell someone about a potential medical issue?

I have a long history of skin issues, including several different types of cancers. As a result, I see a dermatologist very frequently to have potential areas removed. Because of this, I have become very proficient at tracking certain moles to know…
T James
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17 answers

How do I dismiss a stranger asking for money?

I'm not sure if the answers to Appropriate ways to dismiss street vendors? apply to this situation, as it is about people asking for money without a compensation. That's why I'm asking a new question about an experience of mine, that got me…
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
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43
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7 answers

How to avoid "who are you?" as a response to "how are you?"

Last week, I got a phone call from an unknown number, and the conversation went this way: Her : How are you? Me  : Who are you? To put things in context, she turned out to be an old friend. She apparently assumed that I would have her number…
Masked Man
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3 answers

How do I tell between compliments and 'ball' jokes while juggling?

While training juggling in a park, from behind me I heard a female's voice say, "You are really good with your balls." The vocal inflection was that of a compliment, but she didn't reference juggling so my initial reaction was that she had made a…
Stephen Meschke
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6 answers

What is Soda Fountain Etiquette?

The other day I was walking with my cup to the Soda Fountain1 at a restaurant. Someone was already using the fountain, but the drink they were getting was on the far right side, while what I wanted was closer to the left. Figuring I had enough space…
scohe001
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8 answers

How to react to someone pushing me in public transport?

Backround Today I was on my way to work on a bus that was really packed. A woman boarded at some point pushing the people already on board and near the entrance (including me) really hard. My reaction was asking her in an aggressive - but low - tone…
clueless
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