Small talk should be banned
What is your relationship with God? What is something you fear in life? These may be great topics for conversations, but we rarely tackle such meaty topics at social gatherings. Instead, our discussions usually revolve around summer travel plans, the latest home repair horror story and, of course, the weather.
This is a shame, because research has confirmed what most people know but don't practice: surface level small talk does not build relationships and it is not great for our happiness levels. The obvious question: if it's not that good for us, why does it prevail?
The sad answer is that we actively seek the lowest common denominator. When left to our own devices, we have the freedom to discuss what we want, but we also feel the pressure to pick a topic that will be socially acceptable and easy for anyone to participate in - the uninteresting hallmarks of small talk.
According to a 2010 study by social anthropologist Kate Fox, in Britain, more than nine in ten people admit to having talked about the weather in the last six hours. Around 38 per cent say they've talked about it in the past hour.
As such, in your next dinner party, I challenge you to enforce one rule and one rule alone: Absolutely no surface chat that makes no lasting impression on anyone. Only meaningful conversation is allowed.
Go.
- http://www.wired.co.uk/article/banning-small-talk
This is a shame, because research has confirmed what most people know but don't practice: surface level small talk does not build relationships and it is not great for our happiness levels. The obvious question: if it's not that good for us, why does it prevail?
The sad answer is that we actively seek the lowest common denominator. When left to our own devices, we have the freedom to discuss what we want, but we also feel the pressure to pick a topic that will be socially acceptable and easy for anyone to participate in - the uninteresting hallmarks of small talk.
According to a 2010 study by social anthropologist Kate Fox, in Britain, more than nine in ten people admit to having talked about the weather in the last six hours. Around 38 per cent say they've talked about it in the past hour.
As such, in your next dinner party, I challenge you to enforce one rule and one rule alone: Absolutely no surface chat that makes no lasting impression on anyone. Only meaningful conversation is allowed.
Go.
- http://www.wired.co.uk/article/banning-small-talk
Irmão Danyel, há alguns anos que tento por em pratica as conversas mais profundas, mas não raramente vejo uma espécie de rejeição das pessoas por esse tipo de conversas. Leva-me a concluir que talvez o segredo esteja em encontrar as pessoas certas...
ResponderEliminarJá disse e bem Eleanor Roosevelt que "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."
Não queria deixar de te agradecer por este post, poque veio reforçar este meu desejo de conversar os temas profundos desta vida e deixar o superficial de lado.
Aceitei o teu desafio.
Abraços vanguardistas,
Odisseu
Porreiro.
Eliminar