#200 - Why Talking to Strangers is Good for Your Friendships (Dr. Gillian Sandstrom)
About this episode
Dr. Gillian Sandstrom discusses the importance of talking to strangers and how it can enhance friendships.
For episode 200 of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, I’m joined by Dr. Gillian Sandstrom, an associate professor in the Psychology of Kindness at the University of Sussex and author of Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How Small Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life. I came into this conversation a little skeptical. Do I really need to talk to more strangers? At the grocery store? On airplanes? When I’m just trying to get through my day? But Gillian makes such a compelling case for why these small, low-stakes interactions matter. We talk about why every friend was once a stranger, how small talk helps us practice the skills we need for friendship, and why loose ties and everyday conversations can make us feel more connected to the world around us. Gillian also explains the “liking gap,” why people usually like us more than we think they do, and how to start—and end—conversations without making it weird. This episode is not about turning every stranger into a future close friend. It’s about noticing the humanity around us and being a little more open to connection. Special thank you, as always, to my assistant producer, Rebekah Jacobs!
People in this episode
Host: Nina Badzin
Guest: Dr. Gillian Sandstrom
Topics covered
- friendship
- small talk
- social connections
- psychology
- kindness
Keywords
- talking to strangers
- friendship
- small talk
- social skills
- connection
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Sussex
Books & works: Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How Small Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life
More episodes of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship
- #203 - College Rankings Don't Predict Where You'll Belong (Alexis White)
- #202 - When Friends Make Plans Without You (Danielle Bayard Jackson)
- #201 - A Softer Way to Think About Friendships That Faded (Rebecca Kotok)
- Bonus - An Episode Honoring Jill Smokler: Friendship, Cancer, and Community
- #199 - Traveling with Friends: Lessons From a Girls-Trip Regular (Rebekah Jacobs)
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