Jordan: I'm glad to hear that, Scarlet. Also, apologies for this coming a little late. Now, I need some advice: I feel like I'm that 1 person in a conversation that has nothing to offer to it. Everyone else has something to talk about, but what I want to talk about, no one else is interested and/or it's ignored entirely. I guess I'm going through, what I call, "Third Wheel Syndrome". Can you give me some ideas of what I can do?
Hi Jordan, It’s good to hear from you again. In all seriousness, you can ask me these questions publicly if you wish.
As for your question, I can tell you that this feeling is quite common in big groups. Not everyone will feel they had “The Spotlight” on them in a group discussion and it could lead to you feeling left on the outside. I’m not sure what sort of group dynamic you’re experiencing but here are a few suggestions you can try the next time you’re feeling lost in a group.
1. Suggest a group activity. You might have or know a game that they can all participate in. Pipe in and ask about it. “Say, I have this game I’d like us to try called ...” Group activities (especially games) can get people to have something to distract themselves with while simultaneously giving them an excuse to socialize. This can be the vehicle to ingrain yourself to the group even better.
2. Focus on one person at a time. Jumping right into a group discussion isn’t always easy unless you have a major point to share that contributes to the topic. So instead, get involved by asking one person you know you might mesh with already questions on the topic. Get them to talk and show how well you listen. Be patient and you may find that they’ll start asking questions to you as well. I advise if you practice this to be mindful to how many and how often you ask that one person questions, you don’t want to come off too strong after all.
3. Invite someone yourself. If you’re going into an environment where people are expected to socialize, request to see if you can bring someone along. In this case, you have someone to add and help contribute to the event and what’s more, it’s someone you’re more familiar with and can socialize within such a setting. Could help ease the
