Robin was ready, over the years he had greatly honed his social skills, he had read so many communication books, at first, he didn't apply what he learned and he'd gotten nowhere, then he started applying what he learnt and he... got somewhere, he started having more conversations in public and getting interesting information about people, of course, he was a work in progress but he was very self-reflective and he'd shown growth in the social world.
Now Robin was 22, unemployed and frustrated with his life direction, but he wouldn't just lounge around, he signed up for a networking event, and boy oh boy was he going to shine, he had internalized all this communication skills information and he was going to be the star of the show!
In the lead up he had read every banal platitude about courage he could find because this was not something he'd ever attempted, "one's success is in direct proportion with how much he is willing to embarrass himself" "courage is the greatest virtue" etc etc, he was going to shine.
Fast forward to the day of the event, it was going to be amazing, he was going to make great eye contact, listen intently, validate people and reflect back on their answers, today was the day being a self-help savant would truly show its fruits he would be a conversation afficianado
At the event he suddenly froze, no big deal he would get a drink loosen up and get out there and socialize, he sat there now trying to hype himself up when suddenly, "Hi I'm Anna" " hi I'm Robin he blurted out sitting up as straight as he possibly could as though his life depended on it, he was staring into her very soul and asked "so what industry do you work in?" She told him she was a teacher, "ahh so you teach is it" reflect back what she says you nailed it! I teach art, oh right art, do you like art? Yes, she said that's why I teach it haha. Robin chuckled a bit too forcefully and the conversation petered out from there, Robin just networked nothing, today went awfully, he had to buy another self-help book as soon as possible to rectify this.