Look… I get it. I have a hard time starting conversations in social settings too. If this makes you feel uneasy, you can change that. The trick is to have ‘conversation starters’ to get people to talk about themselves. Start with questions like… “How’s your day going?” or “What’s been keeping you busy lately” or even ask for advice about something that the person is knowledgeable about. Social settings will always feel awkward. Lots of people hate small talk. But small talk has a purpose. It’s a warmup. And conversations will get easier, once get in the habit of knowing how to start off right.  Remember to focus on THEM, and not on YOU.