Social Skills for adults; how to acquire in the least awkward way?

Question

Is there no other way to get comfortable than to 'dive right in'?
Don't care for gigantic faux pas's that end up hurting other peoples feelings or 'weirding' people out. It's easy to fit in at work and at school... there I know my place. But being a virtural hermit for many years has left me clueless when it comes to social interaction. Thanks for any ideas

Peace

Answer 1

Since you are comfortable with people at your school and your work,maybe if you did something on a bit of a social level outside of school or work with a few people that you are comfortable with in a setting you are comfortable in,say grab a bite to eat or have a few drinks with a few people(that takes up the slack for the awkwardness of a one on one situation)whether it be platonic or not.I would personally be honored to know you.Please don't deny others the pleasure of possibly getting to know you,and for the pleasure of your possibly getting to know them.

Answer 2

There are a number of books and tapes that teach social skills, but eventually it boils down to practicing them. There are social skills groups or you could try to form one to practice social skills with a small group of friends or other people, but most people develop social skills in school and work were they interact with people in a somewhat structured environment. But remember, everyone makes mistakes in social situations. That is how we learn. Listen often and see how other people interact and respond to other people. Always be yourself. Maybe not everyone will like you, but that is what different strokes for different folks means. There are always other people that we can get along with.
To find information, look through Amazon.com. Also, look at Stanfield films. They are probably too expensive, but sometimes you can get them at a library. In our state we have a place called the Special Education Resource Center that has a lot of educational material like that. They have a web site also. You might not be able to visit them, but you could get ideas.
Take care and good luck!

Answer 3

Yes, like everything else...social interactions get better with practice, and more natural. I had a dysfunctional upbringing, so I know how you feel, but after working as a cashier and doing phone sales for a while, I actually learned how to work with all kinds of personalities well.

Answer 4

You could get a job working with the public. Try a store.