Multiple Studies Prove Interacting With Strangers is Healthy

Joe Keohane, a renowned American author, studied multiple research studies about the impact of interacting with strangers in the course for writing his book, ‘The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World.’

He found that talking to strangers can teach people things, deepen them, and make them better citizens, thinkers, and better people in general.

Psychologists; Sandstorm and Dunn from the United Kingdom (UK) conducted a study in 2013 in which they asked a group of 30 adults to greet their barista (server at a coffee shop or cafe) nicely, with a smile, and make small talk, while they asked another identical group to make their transaction as quick as possible. 

Participants in the research who talked to strangers while purchasing coffee reported a higher sense of belonging and an enhanced mood than those who did not interact with strangers.

The study’s authors suggested adding similar small interactions with shopkeepers or cafe/restaurant servers whenever one is in a low mood.

Similarly, a study at the University of Chicago encouraged commuters to chat with strangers on public transportation, in taxis, and in waiting rooms – settings where the social norm in Chicago is to avoid conversing. Most participants, understandably, thought that these exchanges would fail miserably. 

They feared that by breaking a social convention, the stranger would hate the interruption and dismiss them, making their commutes much more miserable than they were already.

When they went out and talked to strangers, they discovered they were unexpectedly responsive, interested, and nice. The researchers noted that the commuters seemed to believe that conversing with a stranger entailed a considerable danger of social rejection.

On the other hand, participants who conversed with strangers indicated that the talks were entertaining, fascinating, and continued longer than expected, making their journeys more pleasant. 

The researchers conclude that ‘humans may be social animals, but they may not always be social enough for their own well-being,’ implying a deep misunderstanding of social relationships.

This study has since been repeated in different environments and communities all around the world, yielding similar results everywhere.