Small Talk

Posted on May 23rd, 2008 by Devin

Why do people engage in small talk? Here are some possibilities:

It’s a way to ease into deeper/intense subjects
To avoid a specific topic
To avoid talking about themselves
To get an idea of someone else’s mood
Because they want to talk to someone, but aren’t sure exactly what to talk about
To push through the anxiety of starting a conversation
To read reactions and get a quick assessment of another person
To create a common tone or mood

It seems that younger children do not small talk much. They seem to get right into what they want to say a good part of the time. Maybe that’s why I like talking to children. Maybe that’s why kids act confused sometimes when grown-ups around them are small-talking instead of really talking.

Tags: Communication, Parenting, Relationships //