Wonderful weather, right? Did you watch the big game last night? Do you have any pets? What do you do for a living? What are your favorite hobbies?

Questions such as these have been presented in recent discussions, both academic and casual, as being a key component of a commonly disliked conversational phenomenon: small talk. 

It’s easy to gripe or complain about the awkwardness of small talk — how it’s devoid of real meaning, a waste of time or a bland way to start up a conversation. In today’s fast-paced society, it’s easy to want to cut to the chase and get to the interesting information immediately. 

If a common consensus is that small talk is useless, then why is it still so frequent? Why does it fill so much space in our daily lives?

Small talk acts as a continuum of stepping stones in forming a relationship with a new person. By engaging in casual conversation with each other, both parties of the conversation can build trust and establish a sense of common ground with one another. 

Nick Morgan, Ph.D., included in a Psychology Today article that his understanding of studies done on the impacts of small talk shows that these simple interactions outline how another person communicates and sets up ideas for how to communicate further. According to  Morgan,“Even a mere four minutes of small talk with someone enables you to cooperate more closely with them.”

By asking what seems to be surface-level questions, we can form bonds by sharing our humanity in everyday commonalities. If we figure out someone’s personality or interests through small talk, we can expand on what we already know about them in further interactions. 

For instance, if I try out the new coffee shop in my area, I likely won’t walk through the door with the intention of knowing the intricacies of the barista’s life story by the time I exit. Instead, I would likely find a small connection by complementing something they are wearing, bringing up my love of chai lattes, or talking about a recent event in the community. 

Since small talk persists despite constant arguments about its boring nature, it seems that I am not the only one who understands the power of uplifting even minuscule details to form a connection. 

Guilford College is widely known for its community and the connection between those on its historic campus. With most of the people I pass on campus every day, I don’t know many details about their life or their stories. But I know their favorite subject is English, their favorite color is green, and how beautiful they find our campus. Knowing these things is enough to see a connection that can be made. 

With a sense of anticipation and anxiety around campus in the wake of constant updates on the college’s financial situation, simple connections and kindness are going a long way to show how students are truly in this together. Communication between students right now is important in staying together through uncertain times, with small talk regarding causal updates and ideas for change at its center. 

Walking into any building on campus, I know I will likely see a friendly smile, people chatting about the highlight of their days, or hear a “Hey, how are you?” echoing down the hallway. The connections that make the Guilford campus the home that it is were founded on little pieces of knowledge that grew into bigger connections. 

It has been shown throughout history that social interaction leads to happiness. So why does small talk get the hate that it does, if it is such an integral part of communicating?

It is understandable why some people would find it awkward, tiring or a way to fill silence. But maybe that is because they don’t see small talk as an intentional way of forming connections.

By intentionally using small talk to find relatedness, a conversation can switch from being casual to a spark for a much larger understanding of one another. A relationship doesn’t have to be formed through talking about shared difficult experiences or niche life events, it can be formed by commenting on the weather. 

No matter where they are, anyone can utilize seeing small talk as a necessity. We take for granted the power of human connection, and how even the smallest of conversations can turn into unexpected bonds. 

The next time you want to start up a conversation, don’t shy away from asking an important question: Wonderful weather, right?