Learning how to ask this question changed my life.
The fascinating answers I received helped convinced me that other people are interesting. In the first week of asking I met an amateur paleontologist, a professional billiards player and guy who knew way too much about weather movements. It was awesome. Please give it a try and discover that people are much more than their job.
These tips are from Leil Lowndes “How To Talk To Anyone“, which are great comic fuel for self-improvement and self-help webcomics.