The idea behind the event is to meet new strangers and let your precious guard down to let others know more about you, and reciprocally, become better acquainted with people you here-to-fore knew nothing about. The central idea of every session is to listen (no impatiently waiting-to-talk, no interrupting) while others around you speak, and not worry about the need to sound witty or funny or smart.
As someone who has a bad habit of talking excitedly over others, this approach to pure listening helped a lot - I found it rather therapeutic and calming to not consciously worry about the tempo and time lapse of the conversation. It was good enough just to express myself and then listen to others do the same. There's no pressure- only opinions, beliefs, ideas and a healthy dose of acceptance and understanding.
By the end, you are sure to feel closer to these new strangers/friends, and will likely find yourself warmly hugging someone you barely knew only an hour or two before. Tea with Strangers really works some special social magic, and Mr. Magid's mellow, soothing demeanor certainly adds to the peace-loving mood.
All in all, I give it an A. Go do something different and take a seat at one of these very special "tea parties" - it'll be tea time you won't soon forget. www.teawithstrangers.com/miami
Strangers No More!
From left: Me, Namir, Francine, Jordan, Isabella, Laura
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