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Small talk: why people engage in it? And why?

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Exploronaut
Pileated woodpecker
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13 Jul 2013, 4:08 am

LIzelle wrote:
Dear Wrong Planet Sages

Small talk has always confused me. Why do people emgage in discussions about the weather when I live in the same country, same town, even same street as them and we are living through the same day? Yes, I know it's cold, hence the padded jacket... If it was another country, time or universe I could understand

Also, please enlighten me as to why, what our family refers to as 'normal' or 'ordinary' people, engage in hours of conversation about other people who did not accomplish, achieve or contributed to a betterment in any field?

Sitting through discussions filled with overly loud voices and laughter, just to establish social connections, I have pondered a reason why drunken behaviour, promiscuity, abject matter and other unacceptable and obscene behaviour is fascinating enough to occupy many minds for countless hours on, not just one occasion, but repeatedly. Any thoughts?

Thank you
Confused Aspie

I found this video very helpfull in understanding this theme:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue5gTvC4dNU&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL32F8B5F41870D160[/youtube]


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albedo
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13 Jul 2013, 12:27 pm

Good question.

From my years of analysis, people engage is smalltalk for the following reasons:

  1. Their brains are warming, up. If they have come from a different situation such as work, they may not be automatically adept at witty or intelligent conversation.
  2. It is less about the talking (often the ask things they already know the answer too), it is really about the bonding, body language.
  3. A lot of people find intellectual conversations quite taxing, especially if it is not their interest or skill level.
  4. Talking about nonsense can spawn into a serious conversation, where the people couldn't think what to talk about.
  5. It can sometimes provide clues as to interest or personality.
  6. It is a way to judge mood. So you will know what would be appropriate if at all.
  7. People often revert to small talk when they are nervous.



rvacountrysinger
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28 May 2015, 8:20 pm

Small talk doesn't bother me , but I don't understand it much either. I do enjoy being polite and friendly to people. But I would rather talk about something that means something. And yes, why does it always have to be the weather?



kraftiekortie
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28 May 2015, 8:52 pm

I like talking about the weather.

My special interest when I was a kid was meteorology.