Out of depth socially

[Bluevelvetcake2]

Does anyone ever feel this (particularly in a professional context) and go away feeling like a simpleton? I often find that conversations with friends and family are relatively easy but at professional dinners conversations can often turn to quite obscure topics that I know very little about.

Well, what kind of professional circles are you in? I find that asking more questions about the subject matter is a good strategy

I work for a very large multinational.
I do ask questions but don’t really have anything to contribute when for example a conversation is about sulfites in organic wine or tv adverts from the 1990s

Smile and nod. You don't always have to say something, sometimes it's ok to be quiet

just find your people! - can be hard if you static on a table, but if there's networking afterwards you can generally drift from one table to another.
When I started going to stuff like this, I'd typically be the only female (and person under 30) on the table - it has got better in my profession.

One tip I was given years ago was that if it's a 'help yourself to a glass of wine thing' - take two.
If you see an interesting person to chat to, intorduce yourself and offer the spare. Wandering off iwth a bottle works too, and introducing yourself to a group.🍷🍸🍾
If you don't find anyone you want to chat to, drink it and get a cab home. (I'm not entirely sure that was what the woman doling out networking advice said).

Also look out for the groups that are obviously good friends that know each other well, and avoid. they may look as if they're having a great time, but it's more likely to be a private chat that it's harder to break into.

OP everyone feels like this sometimes.

The people who are making you feel like this will themselves have felt this at one point and in all likelihood they have just over time become quite good at covering up their own ignorance and are just grandstanding.

Don't let it get to you. If you wish to become an expert in these subjects just observe and learn and you can. You might just conclude that its not worth your time, in which case smile, nod, ask questions and let it wash over you.

In the end, none of this is really important.

There's an easy to read book called An Incomplete Education which provides a lot of concise information about 'important` topics which will give you a good grounding. Also, regularly reading what used to be called broadsheet newspapers and occasionally listening to Radio 4 can help make you feel on top of current events. Reading a book about Self Esteem may also be helpful.

Are there topics you can talk about? Try and have a conversation about those. Do the same people attend each time? Find a friend.

Not quire the same but I used to attend do's with OH where they were all techies. OH introduced me to some of them and started talking about things I knew about and from then on when I went the same guys would come and talk to me about cars and gardening etc. I also got introduced to a few of their partners so we got to talk about how dull it was being stuck with all the shop talk.