12/24/2023 0 Comments Study deep conversations strangers![]() ![]() Of course, it can be scary to put yourself out there and strike up a conversation with a stranger.īut the next time you’re feeling shy or nervous about talking to someone new, remember that you could be doing them (and yourself) a lot of good. The study’s authors say that we should view strangers not as potential threats, but as potential friends.Īnd they suggest that we should make a conscious effort to engage in deeper conversations with the people we meet every day. In other words, they found that people who have deep conversations with strangers are more psychologically healthy than those who don’t. The psychology research team who conducted the study found that people who engage in deeper conversations with strangers feel more connected to others are better able to understand their own emotions and feel more engaged and interested in life. The truth is, that research shows that people who engage in deeper conversations with strangers experience more psychological benefits than those who stick to small talk. ![]() The mood boost of talking to strangers may seem fleeting, but the research on well-being, Epley says, suggests that a happy life is made up of a high frequency of positive events, and even small positive experiences make a difference.By Harden Elkington #Psychology, #RelationshipĪccording to research published by the American Psychological Association, we frequently stick to small talk with strangers because we underestimate how interested others are in our lives and mistakenly believe that deeper conversations will be more uncomfortable and less pleasurable than they really are. Put it away and you easily remove that barrier, she says. You've got to interact with them anyway, so you might as well make an effort to turn it into a friendly exchange.Īnd be mindful that using your smartphone sends a signal that you're not interested in interacting with the people around you. Start with folks like the cashier in a grocery store or the barista at your local coffee shop, Dunn says. "It takes very little to acknowledge somebody's existence," Williams says. So, how can we dodge the risks of loneliness and stop short-changing our own happiness? Those that had been "looked through" felt even more disconnected than the control group. "Just that brief acknowledgment, that brief glance - with or without a smile - made them at least temporarily feel more socially connected," Williams says. Even brief eye contact increased people's sense of inclusion and belonging. Kipling Williams, a Purdue University psychologist, studied how people felt when a young woman walked by them and either made eye contact, made eye contact while smiling, or completely ignored them. The Germans even have a term for it - wie Luft behandeln, which means "to be looked at as though air." No one likes feeling invisible when someone walks past. If striking up small talk with a stranger sounds daunting, you might be relieved to hear that even something as simple as making eye contact offers benefits. But when we do talk to each other, those social interactions with strangers tend to be both less awkward and more enjoyable than most people predict. It is fear that the person sitting next to us won't enjoy talking to us that makes us keep to ourselves, Epley found. But a body of research has shown that we might just be short-changing our own happiness by ignoring opportunities to connect with the people around us. A recent study found that phones can keep us from even exchanging brief smiles with people we meet in public places. And smartphones make it easier than ever to do that. ![]() Many of us tend to do just about anything to avoid conversation or even eye contact with strangers. If your answer was B, you're like far too many of us, eyes glued to our phones, attention focused on the digital world. As the elevator begins its ascent, you realize it's just you and one other person taking this ride. The doors open wide, you enter, and they close behind you. Even small positive experiences - chatting with a stranger in an elevator - can make a difference. The mood boost of talking to strangers may seem fleeting, but the research on well-being, scientists say, suggests that a happy life is made up of a high frequency of positive events. ![]()
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