If you want to read the post by Monte Cook that inspired this blog entry, go here http://www.montecook.com/lineos.html

Monte, I feel your pain about the social inertia, but over the years I have learned something interesting.

In the past, I’ve spent a lot of time not being involved in conversation that’s going on around me because I, like you, thought that nothing I might have to add would be of any value – that I would be boring. But I discovered that diving into a conversation with a seemingly inane or random comment can have surprising results. Something that sounds as dumb as “I like your shoes” can in fact lead to bigger and better things: shopping habits, viewpoints on consumer culture or corporate crimes, or at least a tip on where to get good, cheap shoes. Occasionally it won’t pan out. Occasionally it will backfire. But I have found that more often than not, a person that I might dismiss as not being worth the effort to start a conversation with (and I think you’ll agree that making conversation can at times be an effort) might surprise me with insights, entertaining anecdotes, and common interests, and all that it required was just the slightest impetus on my part to break the silence or, Yog forbid, interrupt. Rewarding!