By Kenneth Prabhakar | Photo Editor
Small talk tends to be an ordeal people love to hate. To many, it comes across as useless filler that somehow can make an awkward silence even more uncomfortable. Some would even say it’s better to say nothing at all in these types of situations.
Honestly, I sometimes agree with not saying anything in brief encounters with people you probably won’t meet again. I personally would rather leave my headphones in during most elevator rides. But I do believe there’s a time and place for small talk, and I don’t think it should have the reputation it has now.
There is nothing as fulfilling as a solid heart-to-heart conversation with a close friend. Not only does it serve as a platform to open up about how you really feel but you leave the conversation bonded in trust with the other person. These sorts of conversations are occasional and can’t be forced, but rather they have to spark up by themselves. It’s the nature of deep talks, and anyone can see through them when they are forced. As great as they are, you are not going to have these talks as much as you like.
When you are first getting to know someone, small talk can pave the way for how someone perceives you, but it also gives you a gauge of who you’re talking to. I love asking people the most random questions just to see what type of person they really are.
Through this light-hearted discourse, you figure out how much you have in common with someone even if it’s over the least important of matters. However, to really make small talk work, it begins with being real. If you aren’t genuinely interested in what someone has to say, the conversation is not going to go anywhere and that’s where small talk gets its reputation from.
I can understand not wanting to force yourself to care about everything someone has to say, but people are more interesting than you’d think.
Everybody has something to say and small talk is the key to opening that up. Don’t be afraid to ask someone stupid questions. People love to talk about themselves and sometimes a lighthearted dumb conversation can be the highlight of someone’s day.
