Talk to strangers

Longtime readers of the Daily Tip know we encourage people to talk to strangers, not just because it’s safe communication practice, but because it's good for you.

Yet, we’re afraid to move beyond discussing the weather with people we don't know or don’t know well.

Well, now there’s evidence that it has huge benefits.

Author Devon Frye, writing in Psychology Today, says “Engaging in meaningful conversations with others strengthens social bonds and boost well-being far more than does small talk.”

In a series of studies published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants were asked to predict how awkward or uncomfortable, as well as how rewarding, it would be to discuss personal matters, such as embarrassing moments, or the last time they cried, with strangers.

Guess what?

People consistently overestimated how uncomfortable it would be, and underestimated how much they enjoyed the interactions and how close they felt to the stranger afterward.

And, the miscalculation was even greater for “deep” conversations, which often left people feeling very connected to their conversation partners afterward.

The researchers explained that our assumption going into such “real” conversations is that the other person wouldn’t care about the details of our lives.

Another interesting finding was that after having one meaningful conversation, people usually want to have another one.

So go ahead, be the first.