How do I know when my IM is received?

Im completly Socially inept...Help!!!! Rs?

• So i asked a question the other day, on which i received 4 answers , But would like to see if anyone else has any input on the subject , It was as follows: So, it probably going to sound like the stupidest thing in the world, And i know it Is, But at the end of the day ,im different to everyone i know. People Say being social & being able to talk to people is something you learn & pick up over time, i agree with this for everyone that i know, but when it comes to me, Its untrue - Im 16 & Im unable to talk to people . I have a best friend which i can speak to in small bursts but cant keep up a full conversation , I have other "friends" which i occasionly speak to , but only because their friends with my best friend. I dont understand why any of this is, Im 16 and havnt learned how to start a conversation, how to keep it interesting , how to keep a conversation going , I cant do anything - I can serious see this screwing me up in the future as ill fail job interviews , Wont get on with anyone & just the whole concept is weird. I try speaking to my friends but they just say thats its something that you learned over time & when i say i cant speak to people , they say that i can but i just dont try - This is untrue, I at heart want to be a confident & outgoing guy with tonnes of friends & having relationships , But none of that is going to happen the way im going. My friends just dont understand that its something that i just purely cant do . When i was younger , i apparently was fine talking to people as i asked my old friends But since i was about 10 , Everything has gone downhill. I know that barely anyone will probably read this, And of those people who do , Not many will even bother to read to the bottom, But those who get to this point, Seriously , Have you got any points to put to me , I seriously need help otherwise i think my life is going to be awful & when it keeps hitting me that i suck , I feel so low & i worry for myself that one day it will become too much - I may sound sad for saying that , But at the end of the day, I dont think anyone feels the same way i do.

• Answer:

  Sounds like you're insecure. Talking takes practice, but you think you talk bad, so you prefer to not talk at all. And if you don't practice, you'll never get better. Suggestions: 1) Try making up conversations on your mind. When watching a movie, ask yourself: what would I say to that character if I was there? What could we talk about? If there's nobody there to think you're crazy, you can even practice out loud. Shower is a good moment for that, you can say you were singing. 2) Try talking to strangers. Yes, I know, your mother said not to, but I'm not saying some random weird stranger, but someone you can lightly trust, like a neighbor, or someone that works at a store, bus driver, your mailman... people like that like to be noticed, and they will talk to you back with an open heart. They will tell you all about their lives and family, just ask. 3) For me, that's what really works: asking. Since I learned to make questions, my talking improved a lot. People love to talk about themselves, so this way you make them happy, and you make them think you're very cool to talk to. Just listen carefully and make the next question about something they mentioned. Sometimes, if they care, they will ask about you too, and answering is much easier than saying random things. 4) Keep the smile, even if only inside. It may be weird to smile all the time, but if you keep a positive mind, this will show. You can read more things like this in Chade-Meng Tan's blog. He's a Google employee that wants to make the world better by teaching people how to be nice to others. He says that every time he meets someone, like anyone, the first thing he tries to think is "I want this person to be happy". If you say bad things to people, it's harder to talk to them, they won't make it easy for you. If you want, you can email me and we can "talk". No chat or camera stuff, just email, but I promise to answer every time (not very quickly though).