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You're Probably Talking Too Long
You're Probably 
Talking Too Long
new study
Mar 7, 2021 4:39 PM CST

You're Probably Talking Too Long

New study finds that most people think conversations should have ended sooner

(Newser) - Dread small talk at parties, back when such things existed? If so, a new study may shed light on why. It turns out almost everyone is lousy at knowing when to end a conversation, reports Science . In most cases, people report the chats go on too long, say researchers in...

Lost Interest in Sex? This Could Help
Lost Interest in Sex?
This Could Help
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sep 17, 2017 11:45 AM CDT

Lost Interest in Sex? This Could Help

Men and women who talk about sex are less likely to lose interest: study

(Newser) - Want to spice up your sex life? Try talking. A new study on sex notes 34% of female participants and 15% of male participants in Britain reported having lost interest in sex for three months or more during the previous year. Both sexes blamed issues such as poor health, lack...

10-Minute In-Person Chat May Reduce Prejudice

'If you ask the right questions ...'

(Newser) - A new study published in the journal Science suggests that a quick, face-to-face conversation can put a dent in LGBT prejudice. Volunteers who went door to door—aka "deep canvassing," per the Atlantic —"substantially reduced transphobia," say the researchers. "We found that a single,...

Your Old Texts Can Help You Talk, Listen Better
Your Old Texts Can Help
You Talk, Listen Better
OPINION
Feb 26, 2015 2:49 PM CST

Your Old Texts Can Help You Talk, Listen Better

BuzzFeed writer says they offer lessons in how to improve as a conversationalist

(Newser) - Some might argue that texting spells doom for the art of conversation, but at BuzzFeed , Nathan Pyle explains how his old texts are helping him improve on that front. He went back over some old text conversations with his girlfriend and noticed "great fluctuation." Some days, he had...

For the Love of God, Stop Asking 'How Are You'
For the Love of God,
Stop Asking 'How Are You?'
OPINION
Aug 16, 2013 10:09 AM CDT

For the Love of God, Stop Asking 'How Are You?'

Let's do away with pointless greetings, suggests Alexandra Petri

(Newser) - You ask just about everyone you meet "How are you?"—but it's pretty much the worst possible greeting out there, and it's time to stop, writes Alexandra Petri at the Washington Post . First of all, it can trap people in a "terrifying conversational vortex" along...

4-Second Silences Make Us Feel ... Awkward
4-Second Silences
Make Us Feel ... Awkward
study says
Dec 31, 2010 2:11 PM CST

4-Second Silences Make Us Feel ... Awkward

Researchers cite ancient fears of exclusion

(Newser) - Just four seconds of silence in the middle of a conversation can be excruciating, research finds: That pause can leave us feeling left out and awkward, reports Time . “Conversational flow is associated with positive emotions, and a heightened sense of belonging, self-esteem, social validation and consensus,” researchers report...

Why Overheard Calls Are So Annoying

Our brains hate hearing 'halfalogues'

(Newser) - Does hearing people blab away on their cell phones make you want to scream? You're not alone—and now scientists know why. Hearing someone talk on his phone is, in fact, more annoying than overhearing a conversation, according to new study published in Psychological Science . Turns out our brains can't...

How Not to Be Boring
 How Not to 
 Be Boring 
Jul 25, 2010 1:55 PM CDT

How Not to Be Boring

Esquire's advice on keeping things interesting

(Newser) - Are you a bit of a dullard? Me, too. Thankfully, the folks at Esquire have put together a guide to being cool. Well, cooler. Here are some of their tips for the socially challenged:
  • First of all, just don't be boring: If what you're saying is making your own eyes
...

Rules for Conversation
 Rules for Conversation 
dilbert's scott adams
Jul 22, 2010 12:30 PM CDT

Rules for Conversation

It's not about entertaining yourself

(Newser) - The state of our civil discourse has come to this: Dilbert creator Scott Adams has posted some rules on his blog about how to have a conversation. It's not a diatribe against social media or shrinking attention spans, just a simple observation that most people (he figures three-quarters of the...

See You Soon, But Not on Skype
 See You Soon, 
 But Not on Skype 
JOEL STEIN
Jan 11, 2010 2:18 PM CST

See You Soon, But Not on Skype

If you're looking at a person, ignoring the conversation is tough

(Newser) - When Joel Stein is on the phone with you, here’s what happens. “As soon as you begin to talk, I feel trapped and desperately scan the room for tasks I can do to justify the enormous waste of time that is your talking. I wash dishes, I file...

How to Tell If You're Boring
 How to Tell If You're Boring 
Dec 2, 2009 5:30 PM CST

How to Tell If You're Boring

Watch for these signs during that idle holiday chit chat

(Newser) - Pretty soon, you’ll probably be drowning in polite holiday chit chat with rarely seen acquaintances, and odds are some of those conversations will be really dull. How can you ensure you’re not the one being boring? Slate breaks down some surefire clues:
  • Repeated, perfunctory responses: If they’re
...

Shut Up, Dieters: It's Not Working, and You're Boring

(Newser) - Enough about your diet already, Chloe Angyal writes on SpliceToday. It’s boring. “There is something about dieting that renders people unable to talk about anything but their diet, even to complete strangers who actually didn't ask and frankly don't care,” Angyal continues, and she knows what it...

Bush, Clinton Plan Public Chat in Toronto

Will discuss past 16 years, current issues

(Newser) - Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will appear in Toronto next month for a two-hour, moderated “conversation,” the Globe and Mail reports. But don’t expect a bloodbath: The former presidents will likely hold a friendly discussion of past events and current issues. Still, the meeting promises to...

Big-Mouth Amtrak Rider Announces Firm's Layoffs

(Newser) - A venerable New York law firm is scrambling to do damage control after passengers on an Acela train heard about planned layoffs before the associates targeted for downsizing, Above the Law reports. A Pillsbury Winthrop honcho "was talking so loudly that I think most people in the car were...

14 Stories