Powerful Student's Stories #4 - How I Get People to Truly Connect (Without Forcing It)

You know what’s weird? People can sit in the same room for weeks, even months, without ever really talking to each other. They might chat about the weather, complain about deadlines, throw in some generic “How’s it going?”—but nothing real. Nothing that makes someone go, “Oh wow, me too.”

And that’s exactly why I love facilitating open discussions—especially in philosophy.

My way of bringing people together? I let them talk. I throw out a question, we start mapping thoughts, and slowly, I drop in a little vulnerability. A personal story. A deeper question. Something that makes the conversation move beyond just ideas and into real experiences.

And then? Something clicks.

People start opening up. Someone says something raw, and another person across the room nods, like, “Wait… I know that feeling.” And suddenly, they’re talking—not just to me, but to each other.

That’s the magic. Breaking the ice of the conversation is giving people the space to recognize themselves in someone else’s words.

Because let’s be real… in normal class breaks or casual meetups, this rarely happens. People just hang around, talking clichés, never showing enough of themselves for someone to think, “Oh, I get you.” But in these discussions? They go there. They find each other in shared thoughts, shared stories, shared struggles.

And that’s how I’ve seen real friendships start—not through small talk, but through real talk.