Social butterflies may thrive at small talk, but many of us dread it. After all, there's only so much talking about the weather or traffic that a person can tolerate. Still, small talk is present at ...

If you stop by your neighbor’s front stoop or go to that networking event or say hi to a colleague in the breakroom, you’ll almost definitely end up making boring small talk—right? The kind that makes ...

I know I’m not alone in disliking small talk. Yes, I have a history of social anxiety. I mean, I once hid behind Tim Gunn’s grandfather clock to avoid small talk at a fundraiser at his apartment.

How much small talk have you made so far today? From a polite chit-chat with the barista you see every morning, to passing the time of day with colleagues while you wait for the microwave to ping, our ...