what do you think about my essay? We humans are social creatures. We historically used to be in groups(tribes) in order to go about our daily lives. As a result, much of our speech was not meant to communicate ideas but to establish bonds between you and your tribe. The modern equivalent of historical social bonding is small talk. Small talk acts similarly to historical social bonding because we in modern times use small talk to converse politely about unimportant topics, just like our ancestors used language to establish bonds with other people. As such, the role that small talk should have in our everyday lives is tricky due to the growing interest among scholars and journalists about the extent to which small talk is helpful or harmful in our personal development. While, on the one hand, small talk replicates our historical social interaction, it can be perceived as redundant and unnecessary due to the superficial nature of small talk. While small talk does not help build relationships due to its superficial nature, it can be leveraged to build rapport and establish and strengthen social bonds later.

	We can leverage small talk or how it benefits us because it can help build trust and help you land a promotion. In Source A (Mannering), a licensed career coach talks about how small talk between colleagues and supervisors helps build rapport, which builds trust. She goes on to talk about how rapport allows others to remember that you are only human and that building rapport through interaction could be the thing that leads you to get the promotion or keep in the role you are in. While the opinion of the person of authority seems logical, Kristen Berman and Dan Ariely’s research, as outlined in Source B, suggests that small talk may restrict the depth and authenticity of human interaction. By banning superficial chatter at a dinner party and encouraging participants to engage in meaningful conversation from the get-go, Berman and Ariely observed that individuals seemed more liberated to discuss topics of genuine interest. This experiment implies that when the constraints of small talk are removed, people communicate more sincerely, fostering a happier and more fulfilling social experience. The finding significantly challenges the conventional function of small talk as merely a social lubricant. Instead, it points to the possibility that small talk, by its very nature, might be a barrier to achieving the profound connections humans inherently seek.

Similarly, Source E by David Roberts delves into some individuals’ aversion towards small talk, highlighting how it can feel like a somatic assault to those who find it awkward or disingenuous. Roberts points out that small talk is often a prelude to more significant conversations, suggesting its role as a necessary social step facilitating a deeper human connection. This viewpoint adds complexity to the debate on the utility of small talk by indicating its potential as both a barrier and a bridge in social interactions. Furthermore, the psychological insight provided in this source underscores the importance of understanding individual differences in social interaction preferences, thereby challenging the one-size-fits-all perspective on the value of small talk.

In contrast, Source D, through the lens of ‘doing collegiality’ in the workplace, as explored by Janet Holmes, emphasizes the quintessential role of small talk in creating and maintaining workplace relationships. Small talk is depicted as filling silence and actively contributing to a positive work environment by acknowledging and respecting the ‘positive face needs’ of others. The examples provided from workplace settings underline the critical function small talk serves in professional contexts, further complicating our understanding of its overall impact on social dynamics.

By utilizing these sources, it becomes evident that the implications of small talk extend far beyond its surface-level criticisms. Its role as a facilitator and a barrier to deeper social interactions is deeply intertwined with human psychology and social norms. As we navigate the complexities of human interaction, appreciating the nuanced role of small talk within a broader social and professional context allows for a more sophisticated understanding of its place in our lives. Ultimately, this complexity suggests that the value of small talk is contingent upon the social dynamics at play, varying across different contexts and individual preferences.