What is small talk?

Hi friend, frankly, I have no time for small talk. It bores me stiff, and I think it is so hypocritical... giving false smiles and asking stupid questions when you are not really interested in the answers. But, well, if you want to be a very social person and want to climb the social ladder, small talk is absolutely necessary.

Cheers and happy mylotting

I agree, small talk is just casual polite conversation. It keeps the person feeling safe because its all surface and casual talk and in the course of that casual fluff talk, a hint of more in-depth conversation may creep in and eventually I think small talk could possibly lead to real conversation and even possibly real friendship. This has been my experience. But I have to admit, if it is someone that I don't like, small talk with them can be torture! LOL

yes i totally agree with you. making small talk is simply casual polite conversation. we make small talk not because we really want to know what the other person is thinking. small talk is usually made to fill in the awkward silence. i hate making small talk, so i'll try means and ways to avoid it. it's so pointless to me, and i'd rather spend that time doing something more fruitful.;p

Small talk is neither good nor bad.

It's friendly conversation in passing and is, usually, genuine--at least, from my point of view.

If I pass a stranger on the street and mention that it's a beautiful day, that's how I'm feeling, and I want him or her to feel it, too.

It's also a nice ice-breaker. Small talk about things such as the weather has the potential to lead into more areas of discussion, which can lead to a great friendship. It has even resulted in people falling in love, getting married, and living happily ever after!

Then, of course, there's cheesy small talk.

Like I was being called onto the carpet back when I was in graduate school. In short, the meeting had to do with putting my studies on indefinite hold. Long story.

So, I was in this room with the dean of students and the dean of women. They knew full well what this meeting that they had called and invited me to was all about. I had a pretty good idea of what it was about myself, even though I didn't know for sure.

But it was like we were all waiting for other people to show up at the meeting, so we were all in this room together, and they really didn't want to talk to me because they didn't want to be put into a position of answering questions I might ask.

So Dean B. (the dean of women) begins to engage in small talk with Dean C. (the dean of students).

"Oh my! Isn't it hot in here today, Dean C!"

"Indeed it is, Dean B."

"It just doesn't feel like May, Dean C. It feels more like July."

"Indeed it does, Dean B."

"I wonder how the farmers are faring with this kind of weather, Dean C."

"Yes, Dean B, I hear that this weather has ruined a lot of their crops."

At this point, I finally got a word in edgewise, so I said something like, "I live on a farm, and our crops seem to be doing fine, but I know that you didn't bring me over here to talk about the weather. So, are you about to ask me to withdraw from college?"

At this point, Dean C. said that we wouldn't be discussing this issue until everybody had arrived. "More will be coming! Yes, more will be coming! I believe that you'd better set up some more chairs, Dean B, because more will be coming, and here they come now..."

At that point, I was introduced to another dean and was told, "I believe that you already know Dr. A, the department head of the English department..."

And so the experience with the small talk went.

What happened next?

You'll just have to read my book to find out...

Hello dear as friend. I definitely support your view on what small talk is. It is true indeed that small talk is a short conversation between each other without a long one.

I agree with you as, it happens when we are really waiting for something like we are stuck in the airport like a cancellation of flights and others..So, it will give us time to look around and see who have those friendly faces and start talking and exchanging information!

Taking it literally, small talk is small talk. It is just an ice-breaker. It can be crappy. It can be meaningful. It can also become a self-talk. It all depends on who we make the small talk to.

i agree w/you. it's a good way to get to know people. i'm real bad on first impressions so w/small talk i can ususally decide if i'm going to like this person or not.

Small talk is just like a chit chat. Usually people mention things that are quite obvious like, "The weather is too hot, isn't it?" Just to have something to start with. And it is followed by relatively shallow discussions about life situations. Like what you said, it's just being polite to the other person so as to prevent him from thinking you are ignoring him, if you are acquainted. For strangers, it might be a not so awkward way to begin.

I agree with you about small talk. I have met my dearest friend thanks to having small talk every day while we were waiting for our kids to come out of school!!!!