What is talk to strangers?
Talking to strangers can make us feel more free than talking to our family or friends. It is possible that a stranger sees us as we are, free from idealizations and self-delusions, and that is something very freeing to relate to and be able to express ourselves.
Canadian researcher John Helliwell believes that talking with strangers increases the levels of happiness. Talking with strangers makes us feel better about ourselves, because it shows humility and kindness.
We have heard the phrase "don't talk to strangers" since we were small, and it makes sense until we are older.
This advice was given to us to prevent some dangers. A study published in the Journal of the Mental Environment shows that engaging in a conversation with a stranger can make you feel better.
A study published in Psychological Science shows that children from three years old can distinguish between trustworthy people and those who should stay away from them, and they can do it at seven years old.
When talking to people in our social circle, we get the same psychological effects, but interacting with strangers has different effects. Let's go further.
According to a professor at Singapore Management University, what often gives companies their competitive advantage is not just their knowledge, but the use of performative linkages. Key knowledge is transferred between colleagues who do not know each other in a way that is not expected.
Talking to strangers increases our subjective well-being, and this has a direct impact on our productivity, according to Elizabeth Dunn, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia. Having strangers listen to us strengthens our identity.
It makes us feel appreciated and taken into account.
It is possible that we prefer to talk to a stranger because he sees us as we are, not as he thinks we are.
Talking to people with whom we have a personal relationship has a positive influence, if it is healthy, on our state of mind, although to control anger and/or unpleasantness, talking to strangers seems to be more effective.
When we're in a bad mood, most of us act in two different ways. When we interact with a stranger on the street, we tend to be more friendly and polite because we know that we can do it.
According to a CBS News article, talking to strangers can boost your happiness level, and a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia conducted an experiment to verify this.
She found that when people were interacting with strangers they behaved more pleasantly than they did with their trusted ones. It made them feel part of the community.
