The gist of this post is that the best encounters begin with genuine small talk, but to do good smal

The gist of this post is that the best encounters begin with genuine small talk, but to do good small talk you have to be more socialized than anyone today really is. Then it bridges to the larger question of loneliness. But the heart of the post is to promise that you can learn to do it better, and it's not fake or phony. In fact, attempting to rush to depth will usually be a false start.

We don’t have a mechanism for feeling the adequate amount of pain or thirst for socialization, because there’s never been a time in human history when isolation, and the wealth and technology to achieve it comfortably, have been this possible. —taylorforeman.com