Good conversations lead to higher feelings of happiness

Summary

• Having better quality conversations result in a higher feeling of well-being

Details

• A study showed an association between life satisfaction and quantity and quality of conversations
• "Individuals with higher well-being tend to spend less time alone and more time interacting with others (e.g., greater conversation quantity) and engage in less small talk and more substantive conversations (e.g., greater conversation quality."
• Small talk made no difference to the feelings of happiness

References

• [wired](Read Original)
• study

Quotes

Researchers recently equipped 486 participants with a small “electronically activated recorder” that allowed the scientists to eavesdrop on the participants’ interactions. The scientists found that the amount of time someone spent in small talk about daily banalities made almost no difference to their contentment, whereas deeper conversations involving the exchange of meaningful information about their circumstances and interests had a significant impact. When you bare your soul, others will often respond in kind—and you will all feel better for it.

Related

• Avoid phubbing - phone snubbing to have better conversations
• Start a conversation leave the rest to Jehovah
• The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard. Some of the best talkers are, on this account, the worst company - William Hazlitt
• Use follow up questions to keep a conversation going
• Listen to others even if they have faulty reasoning
• Questions that lead to deeper conversations