It’s tempting to try to pass coworkers in the break room or limit small talk with the person waiting next to you in an attempt to avoid what you think will be a boring conversation. But new research makes a strong case for leaning toward these “boring” chats.
The study published in Journal of Personality and Social PsychologyI found that people who actually participated in these conversations thought they were more interesting and enjoyable than they expected. But beyond that, there’s data to suggest that having these “boring” conversations can take a toll on your mental health and Physical health is solid.
“These moments are small, but they are not insignificant.” Nicholas Allan, Ph.Dsays the psychologist and assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. This is why.
The study delved into conversations about topics that people typically find boring.
The research focused on nine trials involving 1,800 participants. During the experiments, participants were asked to predict how much they would enjoy talking about a set of topics that they considered boring. These included World Wars I and II, non-fiction books, mathematics, onions, the stock market, cats, and vegetarian diets. These chats took place with strangers or friends, and were in person or online.
The researchers discovered that while participants said they expected the conversations to be somewhat subdued, they subsequently reported that they enjoyed them much more than they thought. This happened even when both people in the conversation thought the topic was boring.
“We decided to conduct this research because many people avoid conversations that they think will be boring. We cancel small talk, dread networking events, and assume that some topics, such as the weather, commute, or daily routine, won’t be interesting.” Elizabeth TrinhThe study’s lead author and a doctoral student at the University of Michigan tells SELF. “If conversations are generally good for us, why do we often expect them to be dull or boring? drain?
Participating in the conversation is more important than what you talk about.
In the end, the researchers found that participating in the conversation is what really matters. “Sharing stimulates enjoyment more than the subject matter,” says Trinh. “People assume that interest comes from having a fascinating topic. But in reality, what makes conversations interesting is the feeling of connection—the feeling of hearing and responding to each other and discovering unexpected details about someone’s life. Even a mundane topic can become meaningful when two people actively interact with each other.”
