Via Instapundit: What’s everybody’s big problem with small talk?
There are memes about hating small talk, articles about dodging potential landmines in casual conversation and a move to end the practice altogether. With a new season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” on the horizon, the biggest hater of small talk, Larry David, is inspiring pieces on how to avoid it altogether.
David has said on the show that he tries “to elevate small talk to medium talk” and he’s really not a fan of the “stop and chat” with an acquaintance. He’s not alone. This month Cosmopolitan UK described people who would “rather walk up five flights of stairs than endure 45 painful seconds” in an elevator with someone they know from work. And a Wall Street Journal article from May promised tips to “Save Yourself From Tedious Small Talk.”
Small talk is filler, that’s true, but is there anything really wrong with that? How else can we get to the deeper stuff unless we start with a less intense line of questioning? Do we really want conversations to begin with “how was your relationship with your parents?” or “describe your worst heartbreak”? We also seem to keep limiting what we’re allowed to say to each other, and that’s unfortunate.
There are memes about hating small talk, articles about dodging potential landmines in casual conversation and a move to end the practice altogether. With a new season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” on the horizon, the biggest hater of small talk, Larry David, is inspiring pieces on how to avoid it altogether.
David has said on the show that he tries “to elevate small talk to medium talk” and he’s really not a fan of the “stop and chat” with an acquaintance. He’s not alone. This month Cosmopolitan UK described people who would “rather walk up five flights of stairs than endure 45 painful seconds” in an elevator with someone they know from work. And a Wall Street Journal article from May promised tips to “Save Yourself From Tedious Small Talk.”
Small talk is filler, that’s true, but is there anything really wrong with that? How else can we get to the deeper stuff unless we start with a less intense line of questioning? Do we really want conversations to begin with “how was your relationship with your parents?” or “describe your worst heartbreak”? We also seem to keep limiting what we’re allowed to say to each other, and that’s unfortunate.
(Link to more)
6 comments:
Sometimes a perfectly calm dog will meet another perfectly calm dog, and they sniff each other just a bit, and then . . . BAMMMMM!!!!
Instant dog fight.
Pretty weird.
You want some small talk, speech police? F U
If they can't control it, they hate it.
I'm actually relieved when someone talks to me about the weather. He's not going to reveal anything and neither am I.
My small talk attempt today was flatly rejected. Face in cell phone type.
Had I messaged his phone I'd get a better reaction. This face-to-face interaction is too much for some. It's not taught in school. There is no preparation for it.
(In private browsing mode I must sign in for every little thing. Such is the cost in trouble paid just to prevent Facebook 3rd party tracking. For their own profit. If I could get my hands around Mr. Sugar Mountain's neck, I'd shake until his head falls off. Did I just now say Sugar Mountain? I meant to say Zuckerberg. )
Asking someone they do is a perfect opening line. People love to talk about themselves and you can ask all sorts of follow up questions.
Losers of course do not want to answer this question.
Post a Comment