As some of you might be knowing that I have struggled with anxiety and depression for a long time. This has made me extremely shy, introverted, closed and socially awkward. But I have been feeling that for last 2 years, my mental strength is increasing continuously due to abstaining from PMO and reading different kinds of books.
Apart from that, I have only one friend who knows me irl. This friend has given me 2 challenges for today- 1) I’ll have to take a photo of me working out, and, 2) I’ll have to talk to a stranger without purpose. While both the challenges are quite tough for someone like me, but the 2nd challenge specifically is something which I feel, I won’t be able to even attempt. I hardly even talk to most of the people I know, so it seems nearly impossible to me to talk to someone that I don’t know at all, and that too without purpose.
If anybody has any advice that can help me talking to strangers, it’ll be highly appreciated.
Thank you.
Go to a local store like supermarket or grocery store and just casually help or talk to other shoppers. You can also look for some assistance and chat with them.
Appreciate your advice, but there’s no reason for me to go to a supermarket today. I live with my family, so I cannot go to any place without reason.
Why don’t we try to chat a little on google meet? Message me.
Hey man, thanks for asking that, but friend has strictly mentioned it should be a stranger from real life. That is why this is so difficult. 
No need to go to spuer market any small vendor will work buysomething cheap and literally talk with them anything that’s going on recently.
make a reason then to go out for a walk or buy something.
Hope this helps you.
I will say read this book, though I haven’t read book yet, but seen contents in the book. Book’s contents are looking great. Also this book is one of best books from dale Carnegie. I also have problem with talking with people. Hope we overcome this problem soon
. Hope this helps.
I will teach you how to overcome this second challenge of your friend, ask someone for information: It can be from a place or even hours. Get out of your comfort zone.
Bro if you are at the gym, then I think that’s the best place to talk to people. Just go up to a person who is using a machine and ask him if you can use it and then slowly build up from there. But if I. Guess right, you get cold feet before talking to anyone right? I have a trick for that. It works for me, hopefully it will for you too. It’s called the 3 second rule. You count to 3 and at 3 you go do it! At any cost!I take cold showers in the morning that way. I hesitate a lot before jumping in. This technique help me a lot.
What you can do at the gym, is look for a person who’s been using machine for sometime first. You don’t wanna annoy or distract someone who just started using it! For example, you see a guy using the Smith’s machine for sometime and it looks like it’s his 3rd set, count to 3 and go up to him and say like
" hey man, you done with that?"
And he’ll be like, “yea man, this was my last set”
and you can go like" oh that’s nice! How much you squatting?"
And he’ll be like " I squat 50kg for 10 reps for 3 sets" and you can go like
" duuddee that’s sick! How long you’ve been working out here?"
I’m not gonna keep going but you get my point right?
Yeah bro, thanks for that. I think I can do that, there are some small hawkers here who sell vegetables and fruits. Thanks for your advice man. I’ll just need to go a little far because every hawker in this area knows me.
Haha, I was expecting that from somebody. I have been advised to read this book so so many times that I can’t count. But I’ll tell you why I never had the will to read the book, that was because I read the life story of Dale Carnegie way before I was suggested the book. If you’re aware, he died alone in his house without any friends or family, and nobody even knew about his death for sometime after he had died. But yes, this book is one of the most sold books of all time and really helps people, but I haven’t read this book yet because of the negative perception that it had created in my mind. I am saying that because once I was a very outgoing and cheerfull person too, but with time I began to feel more and more isolated from everybody. What is a problem now, actually began as my personal chojce to not interact with people anymore. And now its been nearly a decade and now it feels like the lifestyle which is hard to endure for long, but now I don’t know any technique to get out of this. Thats why I can better understand the Dale Carnegie who isolated himself from the society , than the Dale Carnegie who wrote about the art of winning friends. But I hope I’m able to overcome this mentality, as a lot of people have nearly convinced me that its a mental sickness…
Yep, I hope both of us are able to overcome this problem , bro. 
Thanks for your beautiful message.
Yes, I live in a city in India, which although big, is kind of not developed very well. Though there are a lot of malls, supermarkets, multiplexes, and a lot of things, still its kind of conservative and more religious than other cities with similar size and development.
Idk why would you delete your comment bro, its a nice advice. But yes, people here would not understand that you’re happy if you just go and high five them, they’ll rather think that you are a mad person and some of your mental screws are loose, ngl. However, I’ll see if I can actually do that.
Hmmm thanks bro,but would you count that as talking without a purpose? But I think your advice is really helpful for me in general in order to overcome the introversion and shyness. Thanks for this bro.
Bro, I will tell you about the tragedy that happened this morning. I had made my mind that I’ll go and talk to a stranger like that, I was fully prepared but as soon as I went inside the gym, I could not gather the courage to talk to anyone.
Does that 3 second rule work that well bro? I’ll give it a try thanks.
Try it out on things you are hesitant to do. Do it before taking a cold shower early in the morning like me if you want. Get the hang of it
I didn’t know this, but contents are looking very great atleast for me. It’s completely your choice if you want to read or not. I just suggested it 
Of course bro, I may read it later. I was stressing on other things, but its ok.
You will slowly gain the confidence for talking… I did it too . If you are an introvert you can’t talk for long without an Intresting topic. Atleast it was for me.
So I made a rule , that I will daily talk to someone ( relatives or friends) . I challenged my self anytime , like talk to that person about time or anything . Itwas very awkward but slowly it worked out. I can now talk to anyone .still not for long time . But I think as I will proceed in Nofap I will regain my confidence. And I can talk without efforts . Thanks . Hope for good.
And one thing you must need someone mentoring you like your friends for your progress. Because they can notice the change good or bad.
Bro, you just should talk with other people, there’s no other advices. Invite your friends to party or maybe classmates. Or just go for a walk with someone