Why This Website Exists
There's probably nothing in this world that I want to get better at right now than communication. It's a shame that I didn't realize this sooner, but excellent communication is arguably the most valuable skill anyone could ever have. Why? Because it's present in almost every aspect of our lives. Want to make more friends? Improve your humor and charisma. Want to get a promotion at your job? Work on your writing and interpersonal skills. Want to attract more clients? Practice effective persuasion and active listening. Want to improve your dating prospects? Learn to hold a conversation. You see, communication is the key to success in most areas of life. It can even make or break you in certain situations. It is something that we've all learned to do as a kid, yet only a few of us have managed to become really good at it. This is why I admire and aspire to be an excellent communicator.
In my 18+ years on this planet, I've only met about two or three people whom I'd consider excellent communicators. What are my metrics, you ask? Well, humor me for a second and think of someone you know and talk to very often. Once you have a person in mind, ask yourself these questions:
- In their one-on-one conversations, do they seem more interested in what the other person has to say than in expressing their own views? In other words, do they let the other person do most of the talking?
- Do they maintain at least 80% eye contact during conversations?
- In their one-on-ones, do their facial expressions change when the other person says something unexpected? Do they nod or interject with affirmations like "Oh, word," "Preach," "Amen," etc., when the other person speaks? In other words, are they an active listener?
- Do they try to match the mood and the tone of their voice to that of their conversation partner?
- When they make a joke, is it well-timed? Are their jokes appropriate and not offending?
- Are they empathetic? Do they first seek to understand before being understood?
If you answered "yes" to all these questions, then chances are you've already come across the type of person I'd consider an excellent communicator. Now, this is not an exhaustive list, of course, but the point is that they are people with "superpowers." They're the type of public speaker who can captivate hundreds and thousands in an audience with their charisma and wit. They are the type of employee who is not the most skilled at their job but still gets promotions anyway. They are the friend, classmate, or coworker whom everyone wants to be around because they make others feel good about themselves. To put it simply, they are masters of attracting and influencing people. They are people magnets.
Now, who doesn't want to be that person, right? It couldn't be me. You see, I've been wanting a piece of that rizz pie for some time now, and I've been working hard to get a plate. Believe me, I have. In fact, I've been reading books about communication, self-image, and human psychology for almost a year now. I've also been paying more attention to the dialogues in TV shows and movies, hoping to learn a thing or two about interpersonal communication from the characters. I even enrolled at a local English institute recently just so I could meet new people and spend more time conversing. But having done all this, I realized that my communication skill level is still miles away from where I want it to be. I mean, sure, my charisma and humor are still a work in progress, but the eye contact is there. I've also noticed that my listening skills have improved and I can relate to other people more easily now (thanks to those psychology tricks that I've been studying). However, I found that in conversations, especially when a large audience is involved, I'm still slow to come up with appropriate responses and have trouble speaking impromptu. Specifically, whenever I speak, I'd stammer occasionally and use "uhms" and "ahs" a lot. Not only that, but my vocabulary is lacking too. I often have difficulty finding the right word to say, and this would cause a short circuit in my brain, and I'd end up explaining what's on my mind incompletely or poorly, then feel ashamed afterward for not being able to express myself fully. I realized that if I wanted to move on to the next step, then I need to work on these first. And so, back to the drawing board I went.
I did some self-reflection and online research focusing on these two questions: (1) "How can I improve the way I verbalize my thoughts?" and (2) "How do I speak eloquently when put on the spot?". All the answers I found pointed to one thing: writing. Which, in hindsight, makes sense. I mean, I've never heard of a writer who can't speak fluidly. Also, the writers whom I know personally are excellent banters and have a good reserve of vocabulary. They are colorful storytellers and masters at painting pictures with words too. Simply put, writers have ways of communicating that I currently lack, and I do believe following their steps will put me an inch closer to being an excellent communicator. Thus, this blog site was born.
What To Expect From This Website
This is a personal site, so naturally, most of the content will revolve around my interests and areas of expertise. Sure, Elon Musk's life might be more intriguing than mine, but since I don't know him personally, I'll stick to what I know. My interests are varied and include software engineering, investing (with a focus on cryptocurrencies), philosophy, lifestyle & fitness, personal development, the English language, memes, video games, books, anime, TV shows, movies, and food. So expect my blog and bytes to touch on these topics.
Also, two points to note: (1) You've probably already observed that my tone is informal. It's likely to remain that way because, in essence, I'm using these writings to prime my brain for real-life communication. (2) As I alluded to earlier, I'm not a professional blogger or writer. This is primarily a fun endeavor for me, and the writing techniques I use are those I learned in my English classes. And just for the record, your boy earned good grades in school.
Why Are You Not Doxed
I'm currently not doxed and I'm not planning on doxing myself as I value freedom of speech and privacy. Also, I like being lowkey in real life, so I don't want my family, friends, and potential employers to find this when they search me. More importantly, I will probably post some rants and controversial takes here every now and then, and I definitely don't want anyone close to me to find those and then slap me because they disagree with me or something. With that in mind, rest assured that I will only be posting raw, unfiltered, based content.
What's Up With The Name
"Sir Typesalot" has a playful and lighthearted feel, with a slight touch of humor, which is a perfect fit since I want this blogging site to have a friendly, approachable vibe. Not-so-fun fact: the initial version that I came up with during my brainstorming session was "Sir Writesalot", but the thing is, I'm not a writer; I know how to write code, though, so "Sir Typesalot" seems more accurate. Another reason I chose this name is that it's a playful nod to my real name. And no, my name is not "Sir Lancelot". (Who names their kid "Sir Lancelot"? I wanna talk)
Final Thoughts
Before you go, a gentle reminder: take the insights shared here with a grain of salt. I aim to provide reliable information to keep this site running, but it's wise to view any opinion with a critical eye. Speaking of the site, I'm proud to say it's built, designed, and maintained by yours truly, so if you find any issues, please give me a heads up via the "Contact" tab. I might even send some coffee money your way as a token of gratitude. With that, I hope you find my content engaging, informative, and enjoyable. Thank you for reading, and happy exploring!