Breaking Silence – A Little Chit-chat Can Change Your Day
Has chit-chat ever made you cringe, or do you look forward to your hairdresser’s tales as much as your new haircut? Recently, DN’s Emma Bouvin, who always saw herself as a natter-hater, saw her views challenged while at the hairdressers.
The Box For Silence
At the salon, she was surprised to find the option of a ‘silent treatment’. This option would mean that only essential chat, related to your hair treatment, would occur. Emma, known for not being a chatterbox, started pondering. She found herself a bit startled, considering the option dystopian. But why is small talk so significant?
Fact Check: The idea of a silent visit to the salon existed in other parts of the world before reaching Sweden. Foreign media outlets indicate that hairstylists think it’s an offshoot of the pandemic.
Understanding Chit-chat
Emma often found mingling quite nerve-racking, becoming apprehensive about her knack for fitting in. However, she would engage in chit-chat at the hairdresser’s out of politeness and surprisingly found these conversations quite enjoyable.
Would You Check the Box for Silence?
Would you ever make use of a salon’s ‘silent treatment’ option, asks Emma? Or would you feel as if you were being rude to the person providing a service to you? She decided to have a chat with her hairdresser about the little box.
“Our cat ran away a week ago. We have searched everywhere”
Her hairdresser, amused, told Emma that quite a few people did choose the silence option. She didn’t mind it, but did find it odd.
Rethinking Silence
As Emma was going about her day, taking a taxi to an interview, her driver initiated a conversation. Wearily, Emma began wishing there was an option for a ‘silent ride’. The driver mentioned that his family’s pet cat had run away. They searched everywhere, even handing out 300 flyers, but she was nowhere to be found.
A Conversation That Changes You
The driver confessed that when his daughter first brought the kitten home, he was angry as their 17-year-old cat had recently passed away. But the little British Shorthair won him over. “She would sit with me every morning as I drank my coffee, she was always there. I started to love her.”, he admitted.
This in-depth conversation with her taxi driver led Emma to think, are we missing out on meaningful connections due to our aversion to small talk?
Ultimately, whether it’s a hair salon or a taxi ride, sometimes the ‘silent treatment’ just doesn’t cut it. Small talk could open doors you never knew existed. So, next time, how about a little chat with your barber about your day? Who knows, you might just cheer each other up.
