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.

New research and expert advice suggest that people often underestimate the value of small talk and overlook how certain phrases can harm their likability in group settings. Studies show that even ...