If a conversation ends after “So what do you do?” … things can get awkward.

At this point, we don’t know what else to say. We stink at small talk. We are shy. We are insecure. We’re introverted. Whatever the reasoning or logic, awkward conversations are, well, awkward. It’s uncomfortable for everyone.

But no one wants to feel awkward. We want to be liked. We want to be charming. We want to be charismatic. But that’s a natural instinct, rooted in our psychological desire to belong, as illustrated in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: