Oscar Wilde, the venerable Irish poet, and playwright had a lot to say. In the early 1890s, he was one of London's most popular playwrights. Among his poems and writing, you may know his work from The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest.
I thought about one of his quotes when I've considered social skills being rusty after we've all been through a pandemic. We've been used to our bubbles and much less socializing. With vaccines and careful limits, we're easing back into interaction. Are our skills rusty? Can knowing a list of ice breakers help? The quote that started me down this path is the one from Wilde:
“Conversation about the weather is the last refuge of the unimaginable.”
I'm not ashamed to say I Googled to find ice breakers. I mean I can do small talk, but sometimes you meet people who pretty much answer in one word or two. Doesn't really leave you anywhere, does it? I found the article 100 Best Ice Breaker Questions in Ranking Order (2021). I cannot recommend all of these, and in fact, I'll asterisk (*) the ones I myself wouldn't use. Remember I am asterisking the ones I would not use.
Fun Ice Breakers
*Have you ever been mistaken for someone famous?
What animal would you choose to be? (I don't know one could ask this, right?)
*What is the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?
What kind of reality show would you be in?
Get to Know You Ice Breakers
How many languages can you speak?
What's your favorite hobby?
*Are you a listener or a talker? (little rude)
*Are you a back seat driver? (not sure what to make of this one)
Personal Ice Breakers
Describe your dream holiday if money was no limit.
Where do you want to retire?
*What talent would you most like to grow and develop? (seems like an interview-type question)
If you could….Ice Breakers
If you could audition for a talent tv show, what song would you pick and why?
*If you could be a kitchen appliance, what one would you be and why? (Yes, it really is on the list. )
Worst Ice Breakers
What is your worst personality characteristic? (Who asks this?)
*What is the first lie you ever told?
Describe the worst movie you've ever watched. (This one isn't terrible, and for the record, mine is A Christmas Horror Story. Won't get over that one for quite a while.)
Do You Prefer Ice Breakers
These are tricky since you're likely to get one-word answers. But, you might be able to spin them into further discussion.
Do you prefer books or films?
Do you prefer nights out or nights in?
Do you prefer summer or winter?
Do you prefer cats or dogs?
Would you rather…Ice Breakers
Would you rather travel back in time to meet your ancestors or would you rather go to the future to meet your descendants? (I might ask this one if I'd been drinking a few cocktails but probably not. Although, could be fun.)
*Would you prefer to always be slightly late or always be an hour early?
‘Course you can luck out and find someone you have kismet with at a party who's willing to people watch. People watching is one of my favorite sports. Again, this is a tricky one if you don't know who you're dishing with is loyal to certain members of the party. It can be magical though if you make this good friend. What a great way to meet and perhaps be life long friends.
Personally, I don't think discussing the weather is necessarily unimaginative. I've watched the movie Twister (1996) with Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton a couple of times. The subject of tornadoes can be quite interesting and it's a good movie. Then, there's the Dennis Quaid – Jake Gyllenhaal film The Day After Tomorrow which says some strong things about global disasters. I like Twister better but it was the only other weather flick I could come up with the other day. Yes, the weather is the one thing we do have in common and can be discussed, however, you might bear these ice breakers in mind the next time you're searching to connect with someone. Hopefully, it won't hurt, and remember a lot of us have skills to polish off in the world we now live in.
