Your opinion on: Strangers by Paulo Coelho

Everybody has to commute everyday or at least take some sort of public transportation throughout the week. Most of us think that we are losing our time because our parents probably told us not to talk to strangers.
I, for instance, every time I have to do it, I try to engage in a conversation with someone I never met before.
Do you do that? And if you dont: why are you so afraid of strangers?

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Paulo
• Coelho
• Strangers
• Commuting
• Public
• Transportations
• Relationships
• Conversation

[GreekSpirits]

I talk to people everywhere, I guess I'm lucky to have had many of my best conversations exactly with strangers. For instance at a train where the woman next to be opened up totally and told me basically her lifestory, fears and dreams in a couple of hours. I never saw this woman again, but I felt blessed that a stranger just could tell me all these things like she had known me all her life. In many ways I guess the power of a strangers words is stronger, because I remember better...

[Art914l]

Always look people in the eye when you talk to them. Try to smile at the people you see, or at least acknowledge them as a fellow human being.

[uranusisnotfunny]

such a great topic! i always talk w/ people i don't yet know. i've always thought that god speaks to us through others. why miss such an opportunity? sometimes i just listen as people share their problems, seems like it's easier to tell a stranger your troubles. sometimes i hear just the thing i needed to hear.

[Liina83kiku]

Paulo, I love that you make us thinkkkkkkk...........

[CNUtheAuthor]

I think it's actually a cultural thing. In the US we tend to think the idea of talking to a random person as 'odd,' but I noticed while traveling abroad, for example in Spain, that the culture was very different and people were open to talking to 'strangers.' I think our fears stem from several things: first is the corporeal fear of death (will this person hurt me physically?) second will this person say something to me that is mentally upsetting and lastly how will others judge my conversation.

[mommamema]

No one is a stranger - we are all bothers & sisters

[rhagerlugo]

its really true that the best conversations are with strangers. i was at a party for my friend who was moving and the highlight of the party was a conversation with a person 5 years younger than me and he was a complete stranger. funny right.

[caronline8]

who is not a stranger? even if you know a person for years it doesn't mean that you know that person , that's why I like to talk with who wants to I can learn ,lisent to new people.

thanks paulo I love your books

[lostlilkid]

Strangers, although they are people just like us, are generally more suspicious. It is not the fear of the stranger that causes us to act differently, it is the fear of losing what we have in our grasp (which is different for everybody) An example would be losing your life which would create sadness for your loved ones WHOSE feelings you fear for. It IS a game of trust. We all, in our psychological ways, find ways to test out our "friends" and by those results we decide to fear or fear notofthem

[danceswithcrayons]

A stranger only is, until I say 'hello'. Sometimes it is best to be quiet, and sometimes, to initiate conversation (prayer and listening to my heart is vital). Sometimes, strangers fine me to deliver messages or other gifts. Life is Amazing!!

[BigJay604]

Media and concirned parents have programmed us to that state since we were little kids.

Also the stereotypics that are fed to us.

I always like to change a word or two with "strangers" when I have the chance to do so.

It is fear that is on our minds and also the subconscious, that's telling us that "this people is someone who I don't want to talk to".

If we abandon those fears and go and talk to people, we learn very soon that there's nothing to be afraid off.