The smallest approach
Always say good morning.
When you pass someone — on the street, at university, at work — some days you're just not in the mood. You'd rather not be seen at all. But hear me out: saying good morning matters more than it seems.
- It spreads good energy. A simple greeting makes the world a little warmer, a little more polite. It costs nothing, and it often makes someone's day.
- It's the smallest step toward a skill that changes your life: talking to people you don't know.
That skill — starting conversations with strangers — matters far beyond dating. Making new friends, meeting people in business: all of it starts with walking up to someone you don't know and opening a conversation. And the goal is to do it naturally, comfortably, spontaneously.
The only way to get good at it is to do it. You get used to the anxiety and discomfort that come with it. You learn to improvise, to find something interesting to say beyond the weather.
And it all starts with good morning. There's always a small fear behind it — what if they don't hear me? What if they don't answer? Say it anyway. Every time you do, that fear gets a little smaller.
When was the last time you said good morning to a stranger?