Tried small talk with a barista versus just ordering quickly for a week and the quiet approach was way better

2 comments

2 Comments

Omg YES, "the quiet approach was way better" - that's exactly it. I tried this a few months ago and it was honestly life changing lol. I used to always force some awkward small talk like "how's your day going" and they'd give me this fake smile while making my drink and I'd just stand there feeling stupid. When I switched to just saying "can I get a medium latte please" and nothing else, the whole thing felt so much more natural. The barista actually seemed relieved too, like we both knew we were just there to do a transaction. Plus I swear my coffee came faster because they weren't distracted trying to make conversation.

thompson.reese3d ago

Man it's wild how so many of these little social rituals we force on ourselves just make everything more stressful. It's like we've convinced ourselves that you have to chat up every person you interact with but honestly a lot of times people just want to do their job and move on. Quiet transactions feel way more respectful.