Good Conversation Topics

Good nature is more agreeable in conversation than wit, and gives a certain air to the countenance which is more amiable than beauty. - Joseph Addison.

The above quote emphasizes on the importance of a good conversation. Though it is considered to be the most essential factor that determines a person's social life, not many people are well versed in the art of making conversations. Be it a first date or meeting a new person at a party, making good conversation is essential for the other person to know that you are interested in knowing him/her. However, when we come across a new person, most people become tongue-tied, not knowing what to talk to them. Nevertheless, one must understand that starting a conversation is not an herculean task. Rather, you just have to know about the topics that would help you communicate well with a person you have just met. Hence, let us take a look at some interesting conversation topics that will not only help you in knowing the new person, but may also aid in forming a long-lasting relationship.

Good Topics for Conversation

There is no such thing as a worthless conversation, provided you know what to listen for. And questions are the breath of life for conversation. - James Nathan Miller

A good way of starting a conversation is by picking up a topic and asking questions related to it. Now, the questions should be something that should trigger a long response, rather than the typical yes or no answer. This will make the conversation one sided as well as quite boring. On the other hand, you should not ask the questions as if you are playing the rapid fire round on a game show. Rather, the questions should be followed according to the natural progression of the conversation. So, here are some questions that you can ask according to the topic you have chosen for conversation.

Compliment

Complimenting the other person is one of the oldest way of beginning a conversation. People like compliments and most likely they will respond in a polite manner too. However, the compliment should not be something that ends with the other person saying a 'thank you'. For instance, if you tell a girl at the party, 'you have beautiful eyes', she may just say a 'thank you' and the conversation will end before it actually started. Rather, the compliment should be something that will aid you in asking more questions and making an interesting conversation. Some examples on how to start a conversation by complementing the other person include-

• You are wearing a beautiful dress? Where did you get it from?
• You play the guitar really well? Since when have you been learning it?
• I saw your dance performance the other day. It was really good. Are you undergoing professional training for dance?
• The haircut looks really chic on you? Where did you get it done?

Family and Friends

Among the many conversation topics, another would be about family and friends. Talking about one's family and friends is a great way of knowing the person and hence, it is a good topic for dates. However, be a little careful while asking about one's family because some people may have gone through a difficult childhood or may have parents who have divorced when they were kids. In such situations, apologize and move to other topics, instead of making the other person feel uncomfortable. Here are some of the questions that you can ask when talking about family and friends.

• Who all are there in your family?
• What do your parents do?
• What are the names of your siblings? Are they working or studying?
• What are the things that is common between you and your siblings?
• Which place did you go last as a family?
• Who is your best friend? Since when do you know him/her?
• Do you often go out with your friends? Where do you hang out usually?

Hobbies and Interests

Talking about hobbies and interests of a person is said to be one of the best way of knowing him/her. This will also help you in knowing whether you have anything in common with the other person. If you do, you will have a lot of things that you can talk about your interests. However, if you do not, instead of getting disheartened, try to understand more about the person's liking. Hobbies and interests can also include questions about favorite movies, music, books, etc. These topics will be good, if you are looking for conversation topics with a girl as well as a guy. Let us look at the questions that can be asked regarding one's hobbies and interests.

• What are the activities that you like to do during spare time?
• Do you like to read books? What interests you more, fiction or non fiction?
• Which is the book that you are reading now? Which is the book that you like the most?
• Do you play any kind of sports? Which one and why do you like it?
• Do you like watching movies? What genre of movies do you like?
• Which movie did you watch recently? Did you like it? Why?
• Does traveling interest you? Which was the place that you went last? Given a choice, which will be place that you would really love to visit?

Apart from having these topics, you can also ask about the person's work, studies, career aspirations, etc. Other than the knowledge of the topics that you can talk with people, whether you are going on a date or just for a party, two very important things that you need is confidence and genuineness. Being genuine will make the other person comfortable in your company, while on the other hand, being confident will ensure that you have a good and smooth conversation.