Professor Alison Wood Brooks

So I'm always kind of on edge, which means that this kind of shuts me down more.

So when I do have conversations, I can sometimes appear to be a bit more shut down.

And I don't want to carry that into moments where I need to be a bit more open.

And then I would say, generally, I just like hate small talk.

This is why I think I podcast, because you can just skip straight into the deep stuff and I can ask people about their trauma.

Yes.

I just try and avoid it.

So I've got this funny story.

One of the most prestigious people on planet Earth invited me to come to a thing.

And I said no, because there would be a hundred other people there.

And I just didn't want to be in a room for four hours with a bunch of other people.

Like it just, for me, it's so exhausting.

And if I told you what this context was, you'd burst out laughing.

My team were like, you go to that fucking meeting.

But that's kind of what I'm like.

I love this environment, but I hate small talk.

And I hate...

Why did you choose to do this?

What are the things you could have done with your life?

How has being an identical twin been formative in this regard?