How to have deeper conversations with anyone

Published on July 6, 2026

Booth's Nicholas Epley, John Templeton Keller Distinguished Service Professor of Behavioral Science and Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow, joins Time to discuss the rewarding feelings of actual, "good" conversations, and the lines between "small talk" and "real talk" as mentioned earlier in the article.  He argues enduring and accepting awkwardness is key to building connections and understanding when speaking with people who may be in effect strangers. 

Learn more about Epley's strategy for building connections and real talk in this article from the Time wesbite.