We tend to think that friends and family members are our biggest sources of connection, laughter and warmth. While that may well be true, researchers have also recently found that interacting with strangers actually brings a boost in mood and feelings of belong that we didn’t expect.
In one series of studies, researchers instructed Chicago area commuters using public transportation to strike up a conversation with someone near them. On average,participants who followed the instruction felt better than those who had been told to stand or sit in silence. There searchers also argued that when we shy away from casual interaction with strangers, it is often due to a misplaced anxiety that they might not want to talk to us. Much of the time, however, this belief is false. As it turns out, many people are actually perfectly willing to talk—and may even be flattered to receive your attention.
