Skip The Small Talk And Enjoy Life More
Have you pledged to get more joy out of life? Then, here’s a suggestion: When someone asks, “How are you?” skip the small talk and really answer the question.
Here’s why: Researchers at the University of Arizona asked volunteers to wear digital audio recorders that tracked their conversations for 4 days. They also took written tests to assess their happiness. Then, the conversations were divided into 2 categories: “small talk,” and so-called “substantive” or “meaningful” conversations.
The result: When each person’s recordings were compared with their happiness tests, the people who had the most “real” conversations scored the highest on the happiness scale. In fact, it looks like the magic formula for being happy is having two meaningful conversations for every dose of small talk, like “Nice weather we’re having.”
Dr. Matthias Mehl was lead author of the study. And he believes there are a couple reasons behind the results. First, opening up to other people helps us find meaning in our lives. And, the more we share, the more connected we feel.
Here’s why: Researchers at the University of Arizona asked volunteers to wear digital audio recorders that tracked their conversations for 4 days. They also took written tests to assess their happiness. Then, the conversations were divided into 2 categories: “small talk,” and so-called “substantive” or “meaningful” conversations.
The result: When each person’s recordings were compared with their happiness tests, the people who had the most “real” conversations scored the highest on the happiness scale. In fact, it looks like the magic formula for being happy is having two meaningful conversations for every dose of small talk, like “Nice weather we’re having.”
Dr. Matthias Mehl was lead author of the study. And he believes there are a couple reasons behind the results. First, opening up to other people helps us find meaning in our lives. And, the more we share, the more connected we feel.
