Persuasion 148 | Small Talk

Show Summary

Think back to the most recent social event you attended—it’s likely you had to interact with people you didn’t know well or don’t see very often. Those situations require us to call upon our small talk skills—and for many, such situations produce a certain amount of anxiety and discomfort. Being a good conversationalist requires us to start talking about something—usually something lighthearted or devoid of potential strife. Small talk sticks to the outer edges of ideas, often consisting of commentary about the weather or local news or inquiries about one’s family.

In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson continue their Talking about Talk series with a conversation about the social chit chat that causes many a heart to flutter. What is it about small talk that makes us so uncomfortable? Is small talk even necessary? What good do social pleasantries contribute to a larger conversation?

Listen in for dialogue on questions like these, then continue the conversation on Twitter @PersuasionCAPC or in the CAPC members-only community on Facebook.