The Importance of Small Talk in Relationships

Rick Steves: Small talk is an extension of what primatologists and others call social grooming or aloe grooming. In all mammals, there's a certain amount of combing one another or picking knits or massaging, brushing someone's hair,. And this small talk is sort of an extension of that, if you would. When people first start off their conversations with a little bit of small talk, it opens the gates to deeper conversations," he says.