What if the best part of your week was a conversation you almost didn’t have?
Browsing: people
In today’s world, where headphones, cellphones and endless scrolling dominate daily life, the simple act of saying “Hi, how are you?” and “Good morning” is long gone. Streets, neighborhoods and stores are busier than ever, yet somehow quieter at the same time. Places that once felt lively now feel like spaces we merely pass through while running errands. Even brief, casual conversations with people we encounter have nearly gone extinct.
This is the one time in our lives when it’s OK — and, in fact, expected — to be selfish. No one is dependent on us. We’re just here, trying to figure out what career we want to pursue for the next several decades while simultaneously learning how to sort laundry, pay rent and cook anything other than bagels or ramen. It’s about growth. It’s about self-discovery. It’s about independence.
Through this light-hearted discourse, you figure out how much you actually 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.
When all we do is see our fellow citizens as their political identities — or hopelessly attempt to categorize them when we are unsure — we are doing a disservice to ourselves and those around us. Human connection breaks down when all we want to do is hate “the other side.” Most of the time, we really don’t even know who the “other side” actually is.
A harsh reality that took me a long time to accept is that I am accountable for my own feelings. People are accountable for harm and are harmful every day. So, your feelings could get hurt 24/7 if you let them. That is completely up to you.
It starts with the people.
I remember these words spoken by my 10th grade geography teacher. While she was speaking about solving issues of hunger and poaching in Africa, I often apply them to other issues I observe in the world today.
