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publicdebatesyesterday at 6:44 PM1 replyview on HN

I have noticed that doing the sign leads to some good conversations in which I've helped someone in a small way, and that gave me a nice little dopamine boost. It's also led to about half a dozen genuine friendships over the past few months. I wonder if that's the answer, a sort of meta-solution: organizing this thing I'm doing into something that other people in the same situation can do, as a way of meeting people and getting outside their comfort zone. Like setting up a chess table in public if chess is your thing. But no, there are already public chess tables, and they'd have already done that. I don't know, just thinking out loud.


Replies

bombcaryesterday at 7:10 PM

One key is to keep doing it for awhile - the first day with your sign, you were someone on the road.

The eighth time someone sees you? You're the guy with the sign.

Routine and familiarity is important, and it's very easy to fall into situations where we don't see anyone in our routine so we can't become familiar.