August 12, 2021 Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google People can go to great lengths to avoid speaking with each other. On the train, in a museum, or waiting in line ...

When we talk to strangers, if we talk to them, we often default to “small talk” or “chit-chat.” We may muse about the weather or a recent movie or what we did over the weekend. This surface-level talk ...

Research shows we dread talking to strangers but we’re much happier when we actually do. These tools can help. Layoffs, tariffs, AI disruption, polarization, looming climate disaster. There are plenty ...

Talking to strangers can open doors to new opportunities, relationships, and career advancements, especially for ambitious professionals on a six-figure career track. Mastering this skill not only ...

This post was written in collaboration with Victoria E. Gillison, MSSP. When I lived in New York City and felt lonely, I’d look around and see tables of friends and wonder how they found their people.

Trying to ask a stranger about their life story is like walking across the golf course on a sunny day: you have no right to be there, but it’s nice outside, so why not? Sometimes I get strange looks, ...

“Sonder n. the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.” The guy selling newspapers on State Street, the students walking around you in the Diag, the random group ...

We engage with strangers online for a myriad of reasons. From asking for cash to support your personal cause or favorite political candidate to groveling for follows and retweets—let’s face it, most ...

Depending on your natural level of extraversion, you may view chit-chat with strangers more like a mild form of torture than a mood booster (as an introvert, I hear you). But the research is clear: ...

Alisa, I have a question for you. CHANG: Are you serious? In our job? Like, every day. SUMMERS: I don't think it's just the job for you. CHANG: I do. SUMMERS: I feel like that's something that ...