Dr. Joe Nolan

Well, I mean, the research that was in the newspaper this morning suggests that it is.

I think whether it's good or bad, it's inevitable, right?

It's the fabric of our life.

And immediately you start having a conversation about, you know, whether it be what you call a hamburger in Paris or, you know, how the boiler works.

You're establishing common ground with the person you're talking to.

Because everyone has a boiler or everybody knows how a boiler works or everybody wants to talk about that, particularly here in the UK.

Everyone wants to talk about the weather endlessly.

I think so.

I mean, particularly in the world we live in today, where what's your alternative if you're standing in line in the post office?

You're going to just scroll on your phone again.

Or you can talk to the person ahead of you about how long this is taking and where they're sending their post to.

Or, you know, we read a lot again about the loneliness epidemic.

For some people, going to the shop...

And having a chat with someone in the aisle or at the cash register is potentially the only conversation they have.

And I think there's also this emphasis on small talk, but also like flip it over, small listen.

Being listened to is incredibly valuable.

It's incredibly beneficial.

I mean, that's, I think, how the dopamine is released as much with the talking that you're doing as someone seeming to register and respond to what you've said.

I think so.

And also, I mean, the world is pretty binary, isn't it, politically?