How do I turn a stranger into a girlfriend?

[TheNightmanCome]

There's a girl walking down the street. Or she's passing by me on campus. Or she's sitting in a cafe table or bar counter. She could be doing anything; reading, talking to her friends, playing with her iPod.

How do I shed my fear and shyness and walk up to her? How can I introduce myself in a charming way? What can I say that's really funny and witty? How do I really captivate and intrigue her? How do I make her want me?

[Zilla80]

If you can figure this one out you will be a very rich man.

[kikibrown22]

I don't think it's really that tough of a question. You just have to be realistic. Not every girl is going to like you and you can't take that personally, but you will never know if you try. I used to be incredibly shy, but then I started working in the restaurant industry and was forced out of my shell. I had to strike up conversations with complete strangers and accept the fact that I would say stupid things and get embarrassed. Now I have the complete opposite problem. Everywhere I go, complete strangers talk to me, so I end up talking to everyone (not that I'm complaining - I gain something from every interaction)

All you have to do is read the situation and say something funny or interesting (half the time I'm funny by accident). A group of friends is hard to approach, and is very hard to ask a girl out in front of her friends. You also can't expect her to be your girlfriend right off the bat. I've been told people find me approachable and easy to talk to because I seem open and I talk to people like I already know them (I guess because I joke with customers and tell them funny stories about myself and people I know)

The first step is to pique her interest. Approach her confidently and casually. Ask her what she's listening to on her iPod and engage her in a conversation about music, etc. Sometimes playfully criticizing her choice of reading material or snack food or whatever can also get her talking (I was at the grocery store the other day and a guy jokingly criticized me for choosing plain potato chips, and so I felt the need to defend my choice and then asked him what he'd recommend). All you've got to do is break that ice and know when to stay and when to walk away. If she doesn't seem receptive then just take your cue and politely walk away. The more you put yourself out there, the more likelihood that you'll meet someone who is genuinely interested...and I know it's said a million times but confidence is key (laid-back self-assurance rather than cockiness of course). If you doubt yourself then you leave room for people to doubt you too.

[Lite]

Ask her if your hankie smells like Chloroform.

[cuddlemonster]

Keep telling yourself this: "If i dont go up to her, i will still be a little boy stuck in a grown man's body".