These "reductive" questions can instantly make a conversation feel heavy, etiquette expert Alison Cheperdak says.

On the one hand, the weather is a shared universal experience; understandably, the person you’re talking to in person is ...

Not everyone is born with the gift of gab. If chatting doesn't come naturally to you, here are some expert tips for how to ...

Small talk has been a pain point for me for years, but it sank to new lows at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was at the playground one day, sweating in a K-95 while pushing my maskless ...

Charles Duhigg, author of "The Power of Habit," argues that small talk isn't an innate skill, but rather a learned behavior that can be studied and crafted to perfectly suit any situation — whether ...

ATLANTA — You're standing in line at the supermarket or drugstore when a stranger speaks up. "Hello, how are you?" the stranger greets you. "Good, and you?" might be your response. Your conversation ...

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. You’re standing in line at ...

Many people noticed that their social skills got a little rusty during the pandemic. My latest book discusses the psychology of mirrors and reflections. Research explains why being reflected by others ...

Spending hours at the playground is a rite of passage and an almost-daily ritual for many parents … as is making awkward conversation with others who are in the same boat. But fast-talking mamas ...

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s checking out at a store or trying to lull the awkwardness when meeting someone new, small talk has been used by all of us. For some people, having these little ...