gregory@smalltalkscience.com

girl, shy, hand

You’re Probably Hiding Some of Your Best Small Talk Material

February 19, 2023

Mistakes, flaws, and gaffes, oh my! One of the reasons most people don’t embark on more social interactions is because they’re afraid of saying something “stupid” or making a mistake. For many years, I’ve studied the best conversationalists and what they do differently. Guess what? The best conversationalists don’t hide their flaws and imperfections—they embrace …

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girl, grass, nature

Are You Boring People?

Leave a Comment / February 19, 2023

Boring people react seriously and stoically to everything. Admittedly, I am not an excitable person by nature. That doesn’t mean I don’t possess just as many emotions as the next guy.

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The Two Levels of Likability

February 28, 2023

Have you spent a lot of time and money trying to be more likable? You’ve probably already learned that the efforts spent on improving your appearance, reputation, accomplishments, social skills, etc. don’t automatically result in increased likability. Likability is based on something more fundamental.

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Want to Sound More Interesting? Add More Contrasts

May 28, 2022

Contrasts are inherently engaging. Visual contrasts. Literary contrasts. Any kind of contrast. Humans are genetically programmed to notice anything conflicting or opposing.

The 3 Stages of Initiating Small Talk

May 28, 2022

I love games. Some games, like tennis, require a few attempts to really get going. Small talk is similar. Don’t get discouraged if your first comment or question doesn’t get returned as well as you’d hoped. A new conversation typically goes through three phases: 1) Starting, then 2) Moving, then 3) Flowing. Like tennis, sometimes …

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man, sculpture, art

You Need The Small Talk Mindset

May 28, 2022

Your expectations control your anxiety. If you’re always aiming for perfect, you’ll inevitably be disappointed when the conversation doesn’t go as planned. Over-analyzing every word will sabotage your small talk experiences. Lower the conversation bar and embrace the imperfect spontaneity of chit-chat. You may possess high standards for conversation. I did for years. If that’s …

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The Silly Human Technique

Leave a Comment / May 28, 2022

Develop an eye for noticing subtleties in human behavior and appearance. Talk about the idiosyncrasies of the human condition.

Over-reacting is More Entertaining

Leave a Comment / May 28, 2022

Shane Dawson has made a killing just reacting on camera. He’s created a variety of YouTube content, but one theme persists through nearly everything he’s created: his reactions are entertaining.