Hot take: I thought 'no small talk' was rude until I tried it for a week

For years, I felt forced to ask people about their weekend or the weather. It felt fake. Then, after a really draining chat with a neighbor about his lawn, I decided to stop. For seven days, I just said 'good morning' or 'hello' without a follow-up question. At the grocery store, the post office, even to coworkers. I was sure people would think I was mad at them. The weird thing? Almost no one seemed to notice or care. One person at the gas pump even looked relieved. It saved me maybe 20 minutes of my day and a lot of mental energy I used to spend thinking of what to say next. I'm not saying to be cold, but skipping the script felt like breaking a rule that wasn't even a real rule. Has anyone else just stopped forcing conversation and found it was okay?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan60416d ago

My therapist actually calls this "dropping the social script." It's not about being rude, it's about noticing which interactions actually need words. That neighbor with the lawn probably wanted to talk about his divorce, not the grass.

willowadams21d ago

Breaking a rule that wasn't even real" is the best feeling.

piper_reed21d ago

Sounds like a pretty low-stakes rebellion, willowadams. Not sure it counts for much.