Why you should talk to strangers | BPS
“social interaction is not very uncertain, because of the principle of reciprocity. If you say hello to someone, they’ll typically say hello back to you. If you give somebody a compliment, they’ll typically say thank you.” Many people, it seems, are not social enough for their own good. They too often seek comfort in solitude, when they would actua... See more
Derek Thompson • The Anti-Social Century
Their study found that adults who actively engage with people they don’t know also tend to be happier and less moody with their friends and family and feel a greater sense of belonging in their wider community, compared to adults who just go about their business, blinkered and insulated.
Lisa Messenger • Life & Love: Creating the Dream
n the current study, people who had a social interaction with a barista (i.e., smiled, made eye contact, and had a brief conversation) experienced more positive affect than people who were as efficient as possible. Further, we found initial evidence that these effects were mediated by feelings of belonging. These results suggest that, although peop... See more
Just a moment...
we are less engaged with the people we actually live among, and, as a result, we behave less well towards them than we might otherwise do. We are less courteous, less kind, less willing to pass the time of day with them.