Why you should speak to strangers | Praveen Wadalkar | TEDxIESMCRC

Brief Summary

Praveen shares his experiences of solo travelling and playing the "game of trust" with strangers, challenging the common advice of not trusting strangers. He highlights the potential for building relationships and overcoming monotony by trusting people. He argues that while bad people exist, they are rare, and the world is predominantly full of good people. He encourages the audience to trust and connect with strangers in various aspects of life, including those close to home.

• Challenges the fear of strangers instilled by parental advice.
• Introduces the "game of trust" as a way to build relationships.
• Emphasises that most people are trustworthy and good.
• Encourages trusting strangers in all aspects of life.

Introduction: Overcoming Monotony and the Game of Trust

Praveen begins by recalling his mother's warnings about strangers when he travelled alone as a child. He contrasts this with his decision to become a solo traveller to combat the monotony of his IT job. He introduces his unique approach to solo travel, which involves playing a "game of trust" with strangers, directly opposing his mother's advice. This game requires him to trust strangers despite initial reservations.

Episode 1: Sharing a Tent in Shawn Tina Kate

Praveen recounts his journey to Shawn Tina Kate in eastern India, where a stranger on a train advised him to visit Shree Niketan instead. Upon arriving, he met someone who offered him a free ride to Shree Niketan. The stranger then invited Praveen to share his tent for the night, causing internal conflict as Praveen weighed the risks and ultimately decided to trust him, despite his initial hesitation and the warnings echoing in his head.

Episode 2: The Guesthouse in Gokarna

Praveen describes arriving in Gokarna late at night during heavy rain and struggling to find accommodation due to being a solo traveller. He eventually found a guesthouse where the owner was initially reluctant due to a recent suicide incident. After convincing the owner, an old lady warned him about the water in his room. Paranoia set in, but Praveen decided to drink the water, sticking to the rules of his trust game.

Episode 3: A Malaysian Connection

In Kuala Lumpur, Praveen met a woman who, along with her husband, offered him a ride to his destination. The husband offered to pick him up later for dinner. However, when Praveen tried to contact him, the number seemed invalid. Despite his doubts and the voice of his mother in his head, Praveen chose to trust that the man would come.

The Outcome of Trust

Praveen reveals that in Shree Niketan, he formed a lasting friendship with the man in the tent. In Gokarna, the lady offered him tea or coffee in the morning. In Malaysia, his new friend from Malaysia picked him up after he had saved his number incorrectly, and invited him to his home for dinner and a stay.

The Value of Trusting Strangers

Praveen explains that he "won" 22 out of 24 times he played the game of trust. Winning, in this context, means that he would have missed out on building relationships with over 96% of people if he hadn't changed his approach to strangers. He clarifies that "strangers" aren't just people on the road but also those in classrooms, offices, and even neighbourhoods or homes. He urges the audience to speak to, trust, and build relationships with these people.

Challenging the Fear of Strangers

Praveen acknowledges the existence of bad people but questions how often we encounter them personally. He argues that the world is predominantly full of good people. He concludes by sharing that he encourages his son to speak to strangers when he travels alone in the mountains, trusting them and building relationships.