People Skills

[AnthroHeart]

How do I develop people skills?

I seem to keep offending my friend when I email him.

I said to him that I didn't want to go over to his home cause there was nothing much to do there. And he was offended by that.

Then he says things to me and I get offended. When he responded to me I took offense.

But I try to diffuse the situation by saying something along the lines of I am schizophrenic and stupid, but not exactly like that. Mainly how I don't know how to talk with people.


I like the topics of this board but I can't talk to my unbelieving friend about them.

I even read atheist stuff watch atheist videos and listen to atheist audiobooks to relate to him.

[anagogy]

I would form a strong image of how you want them to react before you speak with them. People take it for granted that the present can affect the future, but you can, to some extent, fix the future so that it retroactively and reflexively inspires your actions in the present to be in accordance with the result you are looking for. In plain speak: you would be less likely to accidentally say something offensive, and more likely to say something endearing, charming, or socially bridging.

Also putting yourself in the others shoes never hurts.