Forget Small Talk: Go Deep Instead
About this episode
Dr. Laurie Santos discusses the barriers of small talk and the benefits of deeper conversations with guests Claire Eastham and Nicholas Epley.
Most of us default to small talk. It's polite, familiar, and feels like the safest way to start a conversation. But it may also be one of the biggest barriers to genuine connection. Dr. Laurie speaks with author and metal-health advocate Claire Eastham about her month-long experiment replacing small talk with deeper conversations while living with social anxiety. She also chats with psychologist Nicholas Epley about why going deeper often scares us, what research reveals about opening up, and what happens when you tell a stranger about the last time you cried. Experts Mentioned: Claire Eastham , author, blogger, and mental-health advocate Nicholas Epley , Professor of Behavioral Science and Faculty Director of the Roman Family Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Arthur Aron , Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook Elaine Aron , psychologist and author Resources Mentioned: We're All Mad Here: The No-Nonsense Guide to Living with Social Anxiety , by Claire Eastham (2016) A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection , by Nicholas Epley…
More episodes of The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
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- What We Still Get Wrong About Happiness (Live at Dartmouth)
- Why the “Pursuit of Happiness” Is a Bad Idea
- Why “No Regrets” Is Bad Advice
- Are Kids Today Really Worse Off?
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