this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2026
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me_irl

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[–] DougPiranha42@lemmy.world 182 points 3 weeks ago (29 children)

Asking my life partner how their day was is not small talk. Asking the same question from the cashier at the grocery checkout is small talk.

[–] okwhateverdude@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

What if they are the same person?

[–] chisel@piefed.social 35 points 3 weeks ago

It averages out to medium talk.

[–] Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago

If there's someone behind you, that's called "holding up the line."

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[–] bequirtle@lemmy.world 131 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

People think that "i hate small talk" must mean "i want big talk" because they cannot comprehend the idea of just shutting tf up

[–] iocase@lemmy.zip 40 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

These thoughts rattling around in my head and this breath in my lungs would be wasted forever unless I combine them and thrust it upon your unwilling ears

—the entire world for some reason

Sorry, I'm quieter when I take my Ritalin!

[–] JackTea@piefed.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Not always true and a little besides the point. I went through a period where my friend circle ONLY made small talk. Hang out for a couple hours at a bar, 90% no talking and when we did it was either to insult each other or talk about our beers.

It became exhausting. Unsurprisingly we went our separate ways and never contacted each other again.

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[–] shweddy@lemmy.world 42 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Talking To my partner isn't small talk. Sustaining a conversation with a coworker who won't shut the fuck up is small talk

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[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 38 points 3 weeks ago

Some people are just scared of silence I guess.

[–] BaraCoded@literature.cafe 35 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

That's what normies don't get about introverts: we're not above small talk, we're above small talk when it's all there is. Of course we'll ask the loved one how their day has been, and the fact is we'll actually shut the fuck up and listen to it all, and when things become serious we'll talk to say meaningful things.

Else, there's folie à deux echolalia, shitty jokes, movie lines, comfortable silence, or skipping it all to 'scorching hot sex'.

[–] PhoenixDog@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm all for small talk. It's the superfluous small talk just to kill dead air I hate. I'd rather sit in an elevator and say nothing than talk about how much rain we're about to get this afternoon.

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[–] Shellofbiomatter@lemmus.org 28 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

What's wrong with silence? You don't have to talk continuously.

[–] protist@retrofed.com 8 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Don't have to be silent continuously either, for that matter!

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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 26 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

My bf and I barely talk at all. It's fucking awesome just being comfortable shutting the fuck up together.

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[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 25 points 3 weeks ago

With silence. Peace and tranquility. Simply enjoying someone's very presence without needing to verbalize it

[–] Azzu@leminal.space 23 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The definition of small talk is literally establishing common ground in some way. It's only meant for people you don't or barely know.

It's absolutely unnecessary for people you already know deeply.

[–] Alvaro@lemmy.blahaj.zone 23 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Firstly, that sounds great. Secondly small talk is meaningless filler, not common topics, so asking common things is not small talk as long as I actually care and participate in the conversion (like "how are you?" Or "how was your day?" Or even "interesting weather today")

[–] SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It can also be foreplay for a deep conversation - you stroke and give little kisses in the form of familiar phrases (how are you? Work has been tough this week), then you start sliding hands a little under their clothes in the form of asking broad questions about the things people like to talk about (I love my cat, do you have any pets?), and then you work up to third base by finding something really interesting you both want to talk about (so, then they found ten other subspecies of deep-sea pseudoplancton, and two of those make a chemical that can induce hallucinations ...).

Then afterwards, a nice snuggle of small talk again before heading back home (well, I hope Billy is feeling better by next week, let me know what restaurant you'd like to go to and I can drag Bobby along too)

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[–] Yamees@lemmy.ca 22 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

Talking random bullshit with someone you know well is great, performative socially masked pleasantries specifically chosen for their generality, and uncontroversial nature is immensely draining emotionally and mentally.

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[–] Doom@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't mind having a conversation about stupid bullshit, I love those. But I do hate having a superficial conversation filled with lies and obfuscation about meaningless topics neither of us care about solely for the sake of filling the silence. It's a waste of energy and time.

[–] UnrepententProcrastinator@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 weeks ago (10 children)

Then bring your A game to every conversation. Most people are interesting, they just need steering towards their subject of interest.

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[–] Malyca@lemmy.zip 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

We're both autistic and therefore both hate small talk. Problem solved.

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[–] SeductiveTortoise@piefed.social 13 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

The more I read into this thread, the more I appreciate being German. I don't talk to the cashier besides smiling at them and saying hello and goodbye and they don't expect me to. I only talk to people I want to talk to, besides at work. But even there I keep it low.

It's not that I don't like to talk. I just prefer to talk with a meaning.

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[–] LuxSpark@lemmy.cafe 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

You don’t need to discuss how pleasant the weather is, but talking about the important things in your life is necessary for a meaningful relationship.

[–] velma@lemmy.blahaj.zone 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It’s necessary, but discussing the big important things don’t take up very much time in a long term relationship. There’s a lot more small talk that happens, so best to be on the same page about both with your partner!

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[–] wpb@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

hi honey I'm home

such weather we're having huh?

you said it

Peak romance ❤️

[–] panda_abyss@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I mean, the Fins have a thriving society.

I can’t explain it, but they’re among the happiest people on earth.

[–] Jojowski@sopuli.xyz 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

There was an interesting theory in a paper: during happiness research they interview people and ask them to imagine what the best life would look like and then estimate where they are compared to it in a scale of 0 to 10.

Well, in Finnish comprehensive schools we use grading 4-10 where 4 is "failed", so everything under 7 is bad and 8 is merely "ok". And as we learn this odd scale quite early it's stuck in our heads. So yeah.

I don't know any Finnish person that would describe their life as happy. Perhaps we mean to grade our life as merely tolerable when asked and the scale doesn't take into account this weird system that we use!

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[–] wimthoelke@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

yes, thats what I want

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 9 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] BilboBargains@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Exclusively dating ND women has been a blessed relief from small talk

[–] tmyakal@infosec.pub 12 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Every woman I've dated since high school has been taller and more autistic than the last. If my wife ever leaves me, I'll need to find a non-verbal WNBA star.

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[–] Zwrt@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

“I am home” is not small talk but a declaration, you inform anyone else currently in the home that you specifically (and not a burglar) are now present.

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[–] Big_Boss_77@fedinsfw.app 7 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I hate small talk, vehemently opposed to it... been married over 15 years...

When it is someone you truly love and cherish... even the most mundane things come with a sense of beauty and wonder, because it's them. Their thoughts, their opinions, their take on whatever applies the meaning. My wife and I can talk about the rain and the trees and the bugs and the birds for hours, for no other reason than it gives us a chance to be together.

Looking at it the way the post does... you're missing the forest because of all the trees.

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[–] plutopos@lemmy.zip 7 points 3 weeks ago

No you transition straight into hardcore steamy sex

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Do people in relationships actually talk about useless shit all day??

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[–] schmorpel@slrpnk.net 7 points 3 weeks ago

Life partner arrives home. Me: extends middle finger. Life partner: grunts. The rest of the interaction: [redacted]

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 weeks ago

I thought so about myself too, until i realise i hate small talk because most of the time it's about topic idgaf or with people i don't want to interact with or when i'm supposed to focus.

[–] MartianRecon@lemmus.org 6 points 3 weeks ago

Because the purpose of life is to experience it?

Hearing what happened at my gf's office shows that I'm interested in what she's doing. Her telling me about her coworker who had a health scare means she cares about the people around her in that office. Her asking how my baseball game went means she cares that I did well, or I had fun playing the game.

Life isn't a bunch of yes/no/maybe computer prompts from an RPG. That sounds like a miserable way to live to be honest.

[–] nickiwest@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

My husband and I absolutely do discuss free will and other philosophical questions. Being able to have those conversations is what drew us together.

Some people talk about the weather or their local sports squadrons. We would rather discuss the ethical implications of modern technology or the nature of knowledge or art.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 8 points 3 weeks ago

You can have both, damn.

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

We either have free will or we have the illusion of free will so convincing and persistent that no meaningful distinction can be drawn and we must continue to act as if we have free will.

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