BBC Future: Why talking to strangers can make us smarter

An interesting read in BBC future about the benefits of talking to strangers who we come across randomly, once we get over our fear of the potential risks of interacting with strangers - especially after everything we've been through. It's taken a while for us to get used to standing in line at the checkout together like normal people.

Why talking to strangers can make us smarter BBC Future (October 27, 2022)

My Commentary

Why wait for these random opportunities to appear? Why not systematically integrate speaking to strangers and people we work with on a regular basis? When done properly it allows us to all to get smarter together, because we're tapping into our collective intelligence. It also allows us to come out of our little bubble for an hour or so and give those latent connection muscles a little workout.

That's why I'm always talking about the need to invest in human connection. Our good future depends on it. But we're going to have to actively and consciously embark on this collective-improvement path together. We're going to have to all agree that none of us are really happy with how things are - enough for us all to want to do something about it that will actually create real change for the better. Learning to consciously connect in a deeper and more meaningful way with others is the key to our happiness. We need to be aware that modern society - particularly our smartphones - are getting in the way of us nurturing meaningful connections. So we're going to have to be very intentional about it.

We need to be aware that modern society - particularly our smartphones - are getting in the way of us nurturing meaningful connections. So we're going to have to be very intentional about it.

Article Excerpts -

"In a suspicious world, many of us are reluctant to interact with strangers. But talking to people we've never met before, even in passing interactions, can make us wiser and happier."

"On the contrary, the participants who talked to strangers reported the conversations were enjoyable, interesting and lasted longer than they had predicted, and made their commutes more enjoyable. Epley and Schroeder add that this suggests a "profound misunderstanding of social interactions", concluding "humans may be social animals but may not always be social enough for their own well-being"."

"Talking to strangers – under the right conditions – is good for us, good for our neighborhoods, our towns and cities, our nations, and our world. Talking to strangers can teach you things, deepen you, make you a better citizen, a better thinker, and a better person. It's a good way to live. But it's more than that. In a rapidly changing, infinitely complex, furiously polarised world, it's a way to survive."