Just because you’re an introvert doesn’t have to mean that you’re bad at conversation, but it can be incredibly helpful to have these conversation starters for introverts if you’re a little out of practice.
Often, an introvert will have a rich and detailed internal world, including their own thoughts, but it can be hard to figure out how to start conversations.
As an introvert myself, I’m painfully aware that many of us don’t do small talk, preferring instead to get to the heart of a conversation or talk “deep.”
Unfortunately, you can’t just start a conversation with, “so, tell me about all of your childhood traumas and what inspires you!”
Whether you’re at a party, trying to make a new friend, or just in a social situation where you need to be the one to start the conversation (don’t be the person who always relies on others to start conversations with you!), these introvert conversation starters will give you something to keep in your back pocket for when that awkward social moment arises and you desperately need something to say.
Easy Conversation Starters
These are the most basic conversation starters – the ones that you can use on almost anyone no matter where you are or who you’re talking to. They’re not life-changing or earth-shattering, but they might be just the conversation ideas for introverts to get some sort of dialogue going.
1. Bring up the weather and talk about how it’s been particularly good, bad, or interesting lately
2. Simply introduce yourself and ask them what their name is
3. Make a comment about your surrounding venue and its features – “This venue is absolutely beautiful!” “I love that art deco wall behind you”
4. Talk about your journey to the place you’re with the other person at, whether you had a bumpy flight or a relatively empty highway drive
Compliment Conversation Starters
Conversation starters that use compliments are almost always the best option for surface level conversation. Seriously, no one hates to be complimented, even if they “don’t know how to take one” and act humble about it. It doesn’t have to be something big, but complimenting a small feature of someone’s appearance or actions or personality is a hugely welcomed conversation starter.
5. Compliment their shoes, boots, or sandals, focusing on how you’d love a pair that look similar or have been searching for that type of shoe
6. Compliment their haircut or hair color
7. Compliment their outerwear, such as a particularly warm looking coat
8. Compliment their accessories, which could include a beautiful scarf, dazzling earrings, or a watch that you think looks cool
9. Compliment their accent, if they have a different one to you
10. Compliment their eyes or eye color
11. Compliment their shirt, whether it’s the pattern, something it says, or the color
Question Conversation Starters
Question conversation starters are hands-down the best ideas for conversation because it actually makes the other person take over the talking. People usually don’t mind answering questions about themselves or just being asked for their thoughts on something, and it gives you, the introvert, an awesome opportunity to just listen and see where the conversation goes rather than having to stress about what to say next.
Use these question conversation starters about the other person, entertainment, and life in general to get a conversation rolling (though you should probably start with one of the easy conversation starters rather than just approaching a stranger and asking them their favorite color with no introduction).
12. Where are you from?
13. What are your plans for the weekend?
14. What brings you here (to this event, this wedding, this venue, etc)?
15. Have you been here before?
16. What’s your favorite band?
17. Do you have any good movie recommendations that you’ve seen recently?
18. Where did you grow up?
19. Got any travels planned soon?
20. What do you like to do in your free time?
21. Do you have any good book recommendations?
22. Do you enjoy the cold/heat or are you wishing for summer/winter?
23. What’s your favorite holiday?
24. What’s your favorite restaurant in the area?
25. Are you a night owl or a morning person?
26. What’s your best childhood memory?
27. What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?
28. Are you watching anything good on TV right now?
29. Have you ever been to (insert area where you grew up or an area you know well)
30. What radio station do you usually have playing?
31. What’s your favorite animal?
32. Did you see the (insert recent episode of a TV show, movie, or viral video)?
Conversation Starters about the Future
It can be fun to start a conversation about future plans or “if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go” type of questions. Here are some good ideas to get the person talking about their plans for the future or what’s coming up for them.
33. If you could move anywhere, where would you go?
34. What are you doing for (upcoming holiday)?
35. Anything exciting coming up for you in your job?
Fun and Funny Conversation Starters
If you want to keep the mood light or maybe are talking to someone that you know well, these funny conversation starters can break the ice and produce some interesting results.
36. If you could be any type of animal, what would you be?
37. Are you eyeing the snacks table like me?
38. If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be?
39. If you could pick one song as your “anthem,” what would it be?
40. What’s your guilty pleasure TV show or movie?
41. What’s one thing that most people don’t know about you?
42. If you could be any superhero character, who would you be?
43. Would you be a good contestant on Survivor/Amazing Race?
44. What’s your most embarrassing childhood memory?
45. What fictional world would you like to live in?
46. If you had to be stuck in one type of food factory forever, what type would it be?
47. What movie or TV character did you have a crush on growing up?
48. What’s something that everyone else seems to love that you don’t really get?
49. If you could invent a new sport, what would it be?
50. If you had to pick one holiday to celebrate every day all year, what would it be?
51. If you could take a road trip with any famous person, who would it be?
