attitude: make them feel good, not bad
- give genuine compliments
- have banter
- ask about their interests, listen, and be genuinely curious
- speak with your actions

I'd argue the best skill to have is "Listening". If you can't listen, you can't relate to people, and they don't feel heard. If you want someone to open up, listen to them.

as someone with ADHD bro I forget all my stories and the pretty interesting life I've lived so far, its so funny I try to talk and it just feels like I was born yesterday

Heard about a concept called "homework for life" where you sit down at the end of every day and write down one interesting thing that happened, something that caught you off guard, or a realization. Some days will be more interesting than others, but a lot more days than you think will have something that could technically be used as the basis for story

It can also take arrogance.  The situation has to be right for a long story to be appropriate--like being interviewed.  I imagine that  Matthew can set forth in a crowd who isn't interested in a long story, or a short one.  "Here he goes again."  Although he probably gets away with it and doesn't need to read the room often because he is surrounded by fans and interviewers who will listen to anything he says.  Storytelling is a great skill, but you have to know how to read the room and not impose your stories on others who haven't asked for them.

dude this video was incredible

Storytelling isn't just entertainment—it's how we connect. The people we admire most weren't always the smartest in the room; they were the ones who could make us feel something. Master this, and you stop being just a listener in life and start shaping how others see the world. That's the quiet superpower behind every great leader, friend, and relationship.

Here for the RuneScape throwback.

I’ve recently realized that storytelling is one of my stronger social skills, but I’m very inconsistent with it. Sometimes I’ll tell one of my crazier stories and have everyone completely engaged, listening to every word. Other times, people start looking away, talking to someone next to them, or I can feel that I’m losing the room.

Something else I’ve noticed is that I’m not always able to “take the mic” in a group. Sometimes I know I have a good story to tell, but I can’t seem to get everyone’s attention long enough to even start it.

Is that mostly about having a more commanding voice and learning how to capture attention? Or is the real skill knowing when the group is actually receptive to a story and when not to force it?

I’d love to see a video about this specifically: how good storytellers get the floor, recognize the right moment to tell a story, and keep a group engaged once they have it. Just a thought.

woah the consistency
keep'em coming

I’m here with my coffee ☕️ and my notebook 📓 I’m here to take notes 📝

love how captivating your videos are. massive nod to the script writers and editors 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Totally banger episode.  The reason story telling works is partly because it takes you down off the ego based preacher role and introduces humility and provenance.
So it's VERY VERY important that the stories are NOT you as the hero, it has to be you as the humble seeker, coach, parent, partner, etc.  Nobody wants to hear your bragadocious tales of self importance.

Not the RuneScape skill template 🤣😭

I think a video analysis on David Spade's story telling skills would be good. The mans a charisma King

This genuinely made me rethink the way I interact with people. Simple idea, but the impact is huge. Definitely worth watching till the end. 🔥

love the video, explained very well.

This is one of the best videos about storytelling I've seen. Thank you, I have earned a lot!

I’m so glad you mentioned the 4 Hour Work Week. It got me into learning languages when I struggled with them earlier. I speak 4 now and am working on a 5th within the next year

Really good one, thank you