Some people are pure magic with small talk. (Joy, this is your cue to take a bow.) These people could talk to a doorframe and somehow get a response. I, on the other hand, tend to avoid small talk like the plague. When I do find myself in one of those conversations ā waiting in line or stuck in the middle seat of a flight ā I usually leave feeling like I need a nap. It’s oddly draining for something thatās supposed to be so light and casual. Anyone else?
But, like it or not (often not!), small talk is part of life. I’ve learned there are certain topics that make the experience enjoyable for me…and others that make me want the floor to swallow me whole.
TOP FIVE
- The weather. Look, itās basic for a reason. Itās easy, itās universal, and thereās always something to say. “Can you believe this rain?” or “It’s great to see sunshine.” ā the bar is low, and thatās kind of perfect.
- Funny stories. Yes, please tell me about the time your dog crashed your Zoom meeting or you accidentally wore mismatched shoes to an event. Humour breaks the ice and I love to laugh. I think it also tends to make everyone feel more relatable and approachable.
- Their hobbies. I like seeing people light up about something theyāre passionate about; tell me about your obsession with birdwatching and Iāll try to keep up. That said, if I have zero connection to the subject, itās hard to stay locked in, especially if they insist on droning on and on.
- Travel. Swapping travel stories is fun, especially if you’ve happened to visit the same place!
- TV/Books. Tricky but rewarding. If our tastes overlap, this is a treasure trove. A good recommendation can turn a dull conversation into a highlight of my day. (But if weāre on different wavelengths, it can feel like trying to understand inside jokes I’ve never heard before. Awkward!)
BOTTOM FIVE
- Politics. Nope. Not in line at the grocery store, not at a baby shower, at at the hairdresser. Iām happy to have deep, nuanced conversations about politics with people I already know, though even then I’d often rather avoid. But for casual chit-chat? Hard no!
- Parenting strategies Someone always ends up feeling judged, inadequate, or both. Thereās a time and place for sharing hard-won wisdom, but small talk isnāt it.
- Professional pursuits. This one makes me squirm. I donāt have a neat job title, and explaining my patchwork of gigs feels awkward. Honestly, I wish I had a business card that just said, āItās complicated.ā
- Faith. I love talking about Jesus. Itās one of my favourite conversations. But not as casual chit-chat with a stranger. Iād rather let my actions speak ā like not swearing if a flight attendant spills a drink in my lap ā and hope that invites curiosity rather than launch into a theological TED Talk at 35,000 feet.
- Endless specifics. You know the type. Someone starts describing their renovation plans in excruciating detail or shows me 47 pictures of their dog wearing holiday outfits. Iām sure itās all deeply meaningful ā to them. But my attention span checked out somewhere around photo 12 (unless it’s Rex or Hannah, of course). If you have that much to share, might I suggest starting a blog?!
Small talk can be fun and light…or a slow, painful drip. I donāt always love it, but knowing which topics light me up (and which drain me dry) makes it a little easier to navigate.
Your turn.
- Who here likes small talk? Who avoids it like the plague?
- What are your Top Five/Bottom Five go-to small talk topics?
- What’s one small talk topic you secretly love but feel weird bringing up?
- Is there a question you wish people asked you more often in casual conversation?
Discover more from The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I’m all about the weather for small talk. I’ll comment on something about their clothes/hair/style that’s really nice or interesting. The size of the crowd( big or small) always useful. I’ll listen to chat about general kid or pet stuff all day. And , although sometimes it’s tiresome, I will let you comment on the size of my family. ( 11 kids always leads to commentary – pro or con – but I find that someone always has a story about a big family they know. )
Please no talk about major health issues, family fights, your latest romance, politics, or legal issue.
Something that can be fraught: my daughter’s disability is visible (DS) so sometimes people will comment about it. It can be very shallow ( oh she must be an angel – um,no she’s a kid with upset and downs) or it detours into very heavy territory ( in a store, some older lady patting her head and crying about her child with DS who passed).
I know I do a verbal barrage about my kids to the poor librarians or friends, but only on a hard day. I’m trying not to!
I can see why your daughter’s special needs can be such a difficult topic of conversation, especially with strangers who don’t know you or have any context. I’m so sorry you’ve had to navigate such uncomfortable situations.
Love the idea of compliments. I do this too! It helps break the ice and puts the other party at ease. Everyone likes a (genuine) compliment! Or sometimes I’ll ask for advice as part of small talk, too. About relatively benign topics, but it can be handy to get an extra opinion, especially from someone that doesn’t know me.
Overall I despise small talk. Any of it. But if pressed I donāt mind talking about:
1. My work -teaching is fun to discuss both from positive and negative sides
2. Money- I love talking about money and I think the topic should stop being so taboo, but that means itās no longer can be considered small talkā¦
3. Books
4. Kids – both positive and realistic aspects of kids
5. Where I come from and where I grew up
Spare me: weather (boring), news (Iām living under a rock), any latest fad, social media āhappeningsā, religion, exercise (ha), and like you said any super detailed project descriptions.
Thais is a great topic, thank you, Elisabeth!
Your job as a teacher would be so fascinating to hear about. Everyone’s lives have been (or are being/will be) touched by educators!
Is it that weird that I love small talk? I remember my mom getting into a long, detailed convo with someone while waiting in line at Disney when I was a child. I have now become that person. I will talk and listen about anything. Topics include:
1. A book you read (ever)
2. What you are growing in your garden
3. Travel plans (real or imagined)
4. Detailed budget decisions or good deals you got
5. Homeschool curriculum or philosophy
6. Favorite recipes
7. Holiday traditions
8. Tips on . . . (minimalism, homekeeping, penny pinching, decorating, organizing)
9. Life hacks
10. How you got into your line of work (or homemaking)
Getting in contact with other peoples’ choices, thoughts, experiences inspires me and makes me think. Probably why I’m still reading blogs after all these years. I never know when a new idea (like a conviction I need to get up at 5am) is going to strike and set me on a path that is good for me. So I keep listening and talking š
Hi – do you have a blog? I’d love to read about your homeschool philosophy. I had my second foray into homeschooling my teen this semester, and it leaves me wondering if I’m doing it right!
Not weird at all! And my mom sounds EXACTLY like you mom. We used to spend Saturday afternoon at a skating rink and I swear it could take my mom an hour to make one loop around the rink because she kept running into people she knew (she was a nurse in a local medical practice, so she saw A LOT of people and she is so open and engaging they always wanted to stop and talk to her).
Love the idea of holiday traditions. And yes to life hacks. I just feel like I don’t always remember these ideas when I’m “on the spot” since I often find small talk intimidating…
“Getting in contact with other peoplesā choices, thoughts, experiences inspires me and makes me think.” Yes to this!
Conversation is a lot easier if both parties are bloggers, I can tell you that much!
I love it when a casual remark about hobbies/travel/TV/books sparks a whole long discussion. It makes up for all the times when these things go nowhere. The weather can be good, but there is also a high risk of “how ’bout that rain?”/”yep” and that’s the entire conversation.
Ha! I loved how Kyria and I could skip right to the good stuff. I felt like I already knew her so well (and, funnily enough, she basically already understood the footprint of my house before she arrived which was hilarious).
Oh, I love meeting strangers, but I HATE diet talk as small talk/female bonding. Like “Ooh, I shouldn’t eat this…” Tell me what you’re reading, travelling, some minor gossip from your social circles.
As a non-TV person, I get frustrated when someone (ahem, MIL) recounts the plot of something I am NEVER going to watch.
Diet talk!!!! Agreed that is SO fraught and something I avoid at all costs with a stranger.
I hate when people try to explain plots to me!
I totally agree with your bottom 5. I hate long-winded explanations of stuff too. I don’t mind small talk much. At work if the lunch conversation is dragging I will sometimes ask people what they are making for dinner. Everyone has to eat…
You’re so wise to pick topics that everyone is going to be able to speak about – we do all eat. Plus, I bet you get all sorts of good ideas. It could become a group brainstorm of go-to meals or new things to try!
It should not surprise you that I love small talk. I could talk to a chair if it had a picture of a smiley face on it. What I’m saying is, invite me to your parties. I don’t talk politics and I don’t talk parenting but I DO talk about other people’s professions. Sometimes they are really interesting. (did you ever watch Seinfeld, when Kramer talks about proctologists as the best people to have at a party?). The weather is always a great topic, and I usually can figure out what someone is interested in talking about, so I always go there. I’m definitely a person who asks a million questions. I find people endlessly fascinating, even with things like their astrological sign or birth order. Or how they met the person whose party we are at (why am I assuming this is a party?). I often talk about what people have in their carts at Superstore, in a “I’ve always wanted to try that, is it good” sort of way. Sometimes the small talk will get wildly personal, like the time the cashier at Superstore and I talked about what we wanted to do with our bodies when we died. I also discovered the woman doing my bikini sugaring was brought up evangelical, and that led to some interesting conversation as I was lying there half naked.
This does NOT surprise me and the conversations you have discussed on your blog have had me in STITCHES sometimes (often related to grocery shopping!)
I bet your ability to naturally gauge what people are interested in and genuine interest in other people was a huge part of why you were such an incredible yoga instructor <3
Oh and I forgot, I love talking about other people’s health, particularly if they have a medical issue. I find people often want someone just to listen to them about their bunions or digestive issues or whatever and I am here for this conversation.
Bunions – haha. What’s a step too far? Haemorrhoids?
So, fun fact- my dad HATED small talk- he just didn’t get it. So, he was really, REALLY bad at it. He was an interesting guy, but there’s a time and place to talk about Abraham Lincoln, bebop jazz, or Buddhism. Those are not small talk topics. I also heard him ask people- in a “small talk” situation, “Do you ever get depressed?” WRONG.
That said- I’ve actually gotten really good at small talk over the years, because of my job. I see many clients a day, and most of them like to talk a little (or, during the whole massage… not my favorite.) Weather is one of the best topics. And while I agree parenting strategies is a huge NO, general kid talk can be great- how old are your kids, where do they go to school, etc. Even if I feel like I have nothing else in common with a person, kids are usually a great common ground.
I agree- politics are off limits (especially now, sheesh.) Small talk should definitely be kept on a superficial level- that’s why it’s “small.”
Your dad is me LOL What do you mean there is time and place to take about beebop??? How about ceramics? I once asked someone what they do in their free time and they looked at me like I have two heads LOL
DO YOU EVER GET DEPRESSED! Jenny, this is hands down the funniest thing I’ve read all day. Not the depression part – that’s serious – but the fact your dad would think that is suitable small talk (though, I bet it was a relief to some people to admit that yes, they did get depressed). Still…HILARIOUS.
You must have to do a lot of small talk. I bet you’ve heard some fascinating things from people on your massage table!
Oh, this is such a good topic – and I really liked your top and bottom five! The comments are just as fascinating. Itās always interesting to see what hits or misses for different people.
I often find myself trying a bit too hard to unearth the topic that will light a spark in the other person. Not always successful. š
But the other day, I met up with a woman in Zurich I donāt know very well and decided to try a completely different approach. I was all excited about my upcoming trip to Boston for the marathon, so I just led with that. Sheās not into exercising at all – but it actually worked! She jumped in, and it broke the ice in such an easy, natural way. From there, we slid into a topic she was interested in, and the conversation flowed.
I was honestly surprised how well it worked. Might try this method again next time and see what happens!
Sometimes small talk feels effortless! I love it at that point, especially because there are generally no emotional attachments so it feels less weighty in a way (if that makes sense).
Your natural enthusiasm for such a big life event (BOSTON) would be a great topic to start with…and as someone who has never run Boston but of course have heard about it all my life, I’d love to talk to someone who has an inside scoop on how the whole thing works.
I love meeting new people, especially at parties, so I guess I enjoy small talk? Totally agree with your bottom 5 topics, though I would also add in weather (I feel as though it’s overdone, plus what more is there to say?) and I also don’t like to talk about medical issues because people can go on and on and on and often be graphic (no thanks!)
I ask people where they grew up, as I often find something in common, whether through travel or knowing others who are from that area. I find that people love to talk about themselves, so asking questions is always the way to go.
Yes! Almost without exception people love talking about themselves, and I think it’s genius to ask people where they grew up. And that can quickly morph into where they’ve moved and the various life changes that may have precipitated each new chapter.
Growing up in a vacation spot and scooping ice cream meant that we had to do small talk a lot with customers. I always asked where they were from (easy and interesting) or their plans for the day/night. Now I love figuring out how I’m connected to people – so anything we have in common, anyone we both know, family history, etc. There’s a thrill that comes with making a genuine match somewhere, and the inevitable “What a small world!” comments that follow.
I can’t stand people who know-it-all and lead small talk with “Did you know…” or “Actually…” or ask you what you mean about something you just said.
Those sound like perfect bite-sized questions for people visiting your ice cream store! And I bet you’re genuinely interested, and people must appreciate if you’re able to give pointers with regard to their itinerary.
DO NOT tell me about your health troubles or the fact that your nephew/aunt/great grandmother/anyone you know is an artist. Boring. Awkward (because said āartistā draws muscle men, cartoons, or race cars rather than actually earns a living at art).
In the grocery store down the hill in Big Town this week, as often happens, the person ahead of me in line had a ton of trouble which brought forward motion to a halt. I turned to the man behind me and said, āI should have warned you to not be behind me because whatever line Iām in usually stopsā. He said, āYou look familiarā. I said, āIām from Three Riversā. He said, āSo am Iā, so I stuck out my hand and said, āHi, Iām Janaā. He said my last name with a question mark, I confirmed, and he introduced himself. Because our town is so small, we knew of each other and have many friends in common.
Thatās my favorite kind of small talk!
That’s a great way to pass the time in a stagnant grocery line! My parents live near a small town and I feel like they literally know EVERYONE (and it feels like everyone is related to everyone else).
I like small talk with friends/coworkers/family. I LOATHE small talk with strangers. I would rather just stay silent. I love that I am able to take Uber comfort which allows you to set your conversation preference – I request quiet. If we are never going to meet again, we do not need to talk IMO. Yes, I know that sounds awful but so it goes…
I love to talk about the weather, the season, travel, hobbies, sports, and people’s kids. I hate talking about health matters (even my own – I can’t imagine talking about my RA is interesting to others!), politics, religion, etc. Things that are nuanced in general are topics i do not want to casually discuss! And I really do not want to talk about financial markets. I do that in my day job, I don’t want it to seep into my social life. But I think people assume I want to talk about it. Except my area of expertise (bonds) is not super relevant to my peer group as young people should be more invested in equities. So I do not have any hot takes/advice on how to invest, beside generally encouraging people to contribute to their 401ks.
This is an important distinction. Sometimes I find it easier with a complete stranger and sometimes I find it harder. It all depends on the context AND the personality of the person I’m talking too, of course.
“If we are never going to meet again, we do not need to talk IMO.” Haha. I find it so awkward in Ubers. Do I talk? Do I not? Sometimes I barely speak any of their language. I always feel unsure and let them take the lead.
I’m sure it is endlessly frustrating when experts are asked for advice (like small talk with someone you learn is a doctor turning into asking medical questions.) I can appreciate you wanting to leave financial advice at the door to your office!
Top Five
1) Weather – hands down, this is my default
2) Favorite books/podcasts
3) Where do you grocery shop? (This is where the best discussions are in the Midwest)
4) Cars – Okay, I don’t care about cars, but if you get people started on car shopping, you learn things. You learn things about cars and people’s preferences and priorities and it’s sort of fun.
5) Pets- YES! I want to see pictures of your dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles, fish, and ferrets. I want to hear you talk about the funny things they do.
6) This is a bonus – asking couples where they met is always a fun topic!
Bottom Five
1) Jobs/careers – Ugh. What if someone is in transition or has a top secret job?
2) Kids extracurriculars – I don’t care about soccer games and I really don’t want a play-by-play. I don’t want to hear about Little Johnny’s tuba concert. I want to know about academics, do they have friends, and what they like to do in their free time (if this involves them telling me about baseball, I’ll take it – but most of the time it doesn’t).
3) Politics – I was at a party last weekend and literally kept leaving groups when it turned this way WHICH IT ALWAYS DOES.
4) Travel – Sorry, but I don’t care about your cruise in Norway. Yikes. That’s probably unpopular.
5) Home repair – I think this is particular to me. We need to do some major repairs and I’m so stressed out about it and when people talk about it, I just hate it.
Love your bonus!! What a fun question and a great way to “kill two birds with one stone” if you’re making small talk with a couple. You’re a genius, Engie <3
I hate renovations and repairs and anything to do with handyman things around our home and I feel like the list is growing and we're doing nothing AND I AM GETTING STRESSED, TOO. I promise if you come to visit me, I will not mention anything about home repairs. Deal?
Ugh, small talk. I’m a cashier and I get a never ending supply of it. I can enjoy it in small doses, but after eight straight hours, it doesn’t matter what the topic is– I’m drained.
That does sound so draining! And of course customer 100 wants equal attention and energy that customer 1 wanted. I would be drained after 20 minutes, so gold stars for making it through an entire shift.
The weather is always good for small talk, which can also lead to other adjacent topics, holidays, plants, gardens (gardening) which can lead to food/cooking. I love how small talk can have a life of it’s own. But it’s true, it is an art form, and sometimes that small talk strays into a lot of personal topics, like when you’re at the hairdresser.
Stay away from the personal and I’m more than happy to chat about most topics.
I feel like the weather in CANADA makes for a great topic because it’s so varied and feels like a very Canadian thing to do, especially in rural areas.
Yeah, I thought us Brits talked a lot about the weather (it changes every six hours in the UK). But Canadians are up there with the Brits in obsessing over the weather. Just as well, we get a lot of it here.
Yup. I think it feeds into the strong agricultural and fishery ties in Canada, too. The weather matters so much if you’re planting a field or heading out to sea. It makes sense it has become a preoccupation that has carried on between generations.
I’m such an introvert, and I’m awful and awkward at small talk. I hate going to parties, meetings, or events! But if I have to attend anything, I thank God when people like Nicole are there! I’m so grateful that there are extroverts who love people and who will start up a conversation and make me feel included. I’m very unlikely to start up a conversation with a stranger, but I usually enjoy it when people start talking to me. I especially like it when they just talk about themselves and don’t ask me too many questions. (Of course, this is all completely different when I’m with close friends and family.)
My favorite topics are
1. Pets
2. Hobbies
3. Travel
4. Family
5. People’s jobs
My least favorite topics are
1. Politics
2. Diets
3. Religion
4. Sports
5. Cars (Don’t tell Indy!)
I hate parties and meetings and events, too! Ugh. One-on-one. Golden. Put me in a room with a bunch of strangers and I would almost always wish to be anywhere else.
I don’t like talking about cars, either! I just nod my head when he talks and pretend like I understand/am listening. Actually listening is what his father is for. I do like talking about Formula 1, though. Our mechanics are huge Formula 1 fans, and I just love chatting with them about nuances from a recent race. I know exactly what small talk to bring up when I take my car in for an inspection in a few weeks.
I generally like small talk, but I think Iām just nosy- um I mean curious- about people.
I think one of my favorite openers is,āWhatās keeping you busy lately?ā I like it because people can answer how they want- it can be about family or work or hobbiesā¦ itās very versatile.
I also like to ask people if they have any scars. Maybe not the first time we meet, but at some point- I find it brings some very interesting stories.
I donāt like to talk about myself- which is probably a little unfair since I love hearing about other people. Or sports, unless itās the Olympics.
I do wonder about people in service industries if they are just having the same conversation over and over again all day? Like my dental hygienist- we always talk about our kids and the weather and she always seems as if Iām the first person to ask her that day, but surely Iām not!
Curiosity is a glorious thing! I think I just get really nervous and, to be fair, would rather just sit quietly and not have to engage.
What’s keeping you busy lately is PERFECT. I should tattoo this on my arm to remind myself of the perfect ice breaker for small talk with a stranger. Perfectly open-ended.
One of my sisters is a hygienist and she gets really invested in her patients and knows about their kids/jobs etc. So I think it’s almost a bit like catching up with someone you start to feel like you know but you’re only seeing in short snippets a few times a year.
I cannot do small talk. I mean, I can – when forced – but please don’t force me! When I was at the library, it was so bad … because it’s like everyone who came in thought they could tell us *everything* and we were quite literally a captive audience behind the circulation desk and I would run out of “peopling energy” by 10:30am on Monday some weeks, lol…
That said … I can hold my own when it comes to:
– the weather
– my garden
– books
– random beekeeping facts
– random funny pet/animal stories
But please, for the love of heaven, let us avoid politics, religion, and questionable recreational activities as if they were a legitimate plague!
So many times I’ve thought of applying for a job at our library when I’m older and it’s the small talk that has convinced me I will never, ever do it.
I am so, so bad at small talk. I want to be good at it! I envy my friends who can engage just about anyone in conversation. But I have social anxiety, which means my brain just fully shuts down when I’m in a social setting with strangers. I have so many things I WANT to ask them – about their job, or what they’re reading or watching, or the weather, or their pets or children… but my brain goes offline and I can’t even remember any questions to ask.
Have you read the book Supercommunicators? It’s all about these people who are so good at communicating with people, and the author had lots of good tidbits, including having a few questions that you always ask people so you don’t have to try to remember it when you’re stuck in a convo. I never came up with my list of questions but I need to!
Yes! I did read that book (I think???)…now I feel momentarily unsure.
I think I’m decent at small talk, it just tends to drain me, hence wanting to avoid it. And another part of me definitely can feel overly nervous and and start to shut down. I think there is also a broad range of what’s required. Saying hello and chatting with a cashier for a few minutes is way different from making small talk with the dentist who’s working inside my mouth for an hour!
I am laughing at your answer to this, because I can tell you that (1) you did read Supercommunicators and (2) it was the book that had the 36 questions!! š
THAT’S why it was so familiar!!! And I completely forgot about the infamous 36 questions coming from that. I’m curious if you’ve ever done those questions with other people?
Not all 36, but I have made my family answer some of them!
I always feel so dumb talking about the weather but also I feel like it’s a proxy for everyones general emotions so it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to. I love the sun! I love talking about the sun!
I was chatting once with someone who asked me what my favourite type of apple was. I was wondering if that meant I was super boring OR if it meant she was keen to keep chatting and had run out of smalltalk?
I love hearing what people do and why they like it. I know it’s complicated but please tell me about it… I wish I could ask every person “What exactly does your day look like? Tell me how it works, hour by hour, I am so curious”… but that’s not really smalltalk.
I really struggle when people talk about stuff they’ve seen on instagram or facebook since I’m not on there. Someone was telling me about all these american easter baskets they had seen and asking me about the concept and I was really confused until I realized she was talking about instagram posts from people and then I just felt out of touch.
Social media and viral TikTok trends go right over my head. There is nothing but crickets from me on that one…
I love seeing behind-the-scenes of ANYTHING, so I think that helps explain why I’m endlessly fascinated by how people spend their days. It’s true, though, that how we spend our days is how we spend our lives and so I think seeing the daily minutiae and how/what other people do speaks to our larger desire to contemplate life on a broader scale.
As a curious person, I really don’t mind talking about anything, but I don’t want to be the instigator! If you say that you have kids, I will start my small talk by asking about your kids and see where it leads. However, I have a really hard time with (1) other introverts. If nobody makes the first move, and I have no idea what they like, it is hard for me to come up with something out of the blue. However, if they are traveling currently, it is easy for me to assume they like to travel, or they have been somewhere, so I will ask them where or what place they liked etc. So if I can find a subject that may stick, I don’t have as much trouble. BUT (2) I hate it when people don’t read your cues that you are NOT INTERESTED in the subject. For example, I worked with a lady who would come in and talk about how she had watched Dancing With The Stars and then after you said you had not seen it, she would give you a play by play, minute by minute account of the prior night’s show. I would mumble that I needed to get back to work, or go pee, or get coffee, or I would turn my back to her (toward my own desk) and start typing and she would still hover there, yammering about the show.
So I guess my answer to your question is:
Top — anything interesting that I could learn something from, so pretty much anything!
Bottom — any subject that is not interesting and I can’t get out of the conversation or have nothing to add (TV being one of them, but really it is not so much about the subject as it is about moving on if you don’t have a connection about that particular subject. I am okay with throwing darts a little, but if they don’t stick, move on please)
It’s like we should have a giant INTROVERT sign on our forehead so that we know the awkward silence isn’t always awkward because it could be what we both want.
The play-by-play kills me. (In a bad way.) And we once had people visiting who I swear showed me dozens of pictures of their grandkids (who I had never met, from a son of theirs I had also NEVER met), and then dozens of pictures of their garden (two or three was very cool, dozens was just exhausting…especially since they wanted me to engage about it).
I just feel like if you don’t engage, the other person should move on because it is supposed to be mutually pleasant!
My Mom used to make me crazy with her small talk with strangers, everywhere we went. Well, HELLO, here I am, talking to everyone I see! HA.
I also avoid the same topics as you, but in general I enjoy speaking with happy, upbeat people. But yeah, let’s not drone on forever about something that is only interesting to YOU.
My mom could talk to a brick wall for an hour (and it would probably start telling her its life story back). It was a GREAT quality for a nurse.
What a great observation. Yes, it is a lot more pleasant to talk to people who are naturally cheerful, inquisitive, and friendly.
Oh wow… this is a tough topic.
I guess I would agree in weather.
Maybe books, movie, tv shows.
Definitely agree on politics and faith. It’s nothing I want to discuss with strangers.
Also I don’t need to hear about kids or pets if I do not know the person already. This may come across as arrogant but it’s just that I can not connect much.
[…] Of course, all the parents ended up attending. I stuck to my assigned people, made my rounds, and the whole thing was blessedly short and quite sweet. (You know how I feel about small talk.) […]