Let’s face it, when COVID struck the world back in 2020 at least some vital aspect in our lifestyle had to be altered. We were isolated from social gatherings, had to wear masks if we were to leave our bubble, and little necessities were robbed away. Gyms were closed, forcing us to either give up exercise or find alternative routes.
Although the COVID lockdown was temporary, its ugly consequences are still exceedingly evident within the bulk of the global population. “COVID weight” is now a socially acceptable and common term. People still can’t to get back to the physique they were sporting prior to COVID, and they continue to make poor excuses. Social skills universally suffered. Places where social interactions thrive such as school or work were closed, which resulted into paradise for introverts, as they literally had an excuse to spend every waking hour of the day in their basement. Many people who were socially competent did not have any platform to harness human interaction. As a resulted, many lost their social touch and became shy upon conversation.
I started my MBA journey in August 2022, roughly a year after the height of the COVID pandemic. It was during the summer where weddings and festivities were occurring weekly, to compensate for the previous summer where these interactions that we take for granted were forbidden. I remember orientation day like it was yesterday. We were to line up outside a classroom at 8AM and wait for instructions. This classroom was at the end of the third floor of the Alberta school of business. I came a few minutes past 9 and crossed many people as I made my way from the elevator to the end of the third floor. Many made eye contact with me but then turned away. The team that was in charge of orientation was running behind, so the classroom doors opened a few minutes later and we were allowed in. Within minutes, the lack of social skills and confidence were apparent among my future cohort. As we took our seats, people made non verbal gestures evident leaning away from the guy beside them. They seemed to all be eagerly anticipating the instructor to make a formal call to break the ice. This notion of being allowed to speak to another fellow individual next to you is absolutely Ludacris. First off, this does not occur in the real world. If you follow this informal rule that people follow, then I wish you the best of luck possible in terms of attracting a future spouse. In the classroom, the first hour following the instructor giving the green light to chat with the fellow to your right was akin to riding a rusty bike. People finally started to calm their nerves at the half an hour mark.
What implications does this have for the common student or entrepreneur? Whenever the tide flows one way, fighting against the current is always favored. See, people are so weak socially that they will naturally miss opportunities to make genuine connections that may help them climb society’s hierarchy. If you even have slightly above average social skills you can stand out and appear more powerful than ever before. Post COVID, its been even easier as many workplaces have continued the trend which allows their team members to complete work from home. This fosters the socially inept to continue suffering socially. We are living in a goldmine where social skills are rare. Seize the moment and take advantage…
For the full message and steps on how you can improve your social skills instantly, check out our video: