But honestly, small talk is like sliding down a cliff of sheetglass, desperately reaching for a crag or niche to grab. Give the other person some purchase, an opinion to disagree with, a piece of gossip, some critical thought to evaluate, an emotion to share. Offer something genuine, with some heft.
I find small talk excruciating, all the more so because its rhythmic, deadening script offers so little room for escape into more interesting topics. Trapped in pleasantries, I'll spend most of my mental energy trying to figure out how the conversation can hook into something more dense and enjoyable, and often remain incapable of getting it there. Which is odd, because I have lots of opinions on controversial, upsetting, conversation-worthy things. But you can't follow up, "yes, I like my job," with "how do you feel about armed revolution leading towards a classless, socialist utopia?" So I love Megan's description of small talk: "Like sliding down a cliff of sheetglass, desperately reaching for a crag or niche." That's exactly how it feels.
