Think about what it's like to be at a birthday dinner where you have to interact with your friend's neighbors for the first time, or what it's like to be waiting for a Zoom to begin with coworkers you ...

Why do we humans make small talk? We spend a lot of time worrying about how to chit-chat amusingly or captivatingly. We complain when it seems trivial or a waste of time, and we bemoan the stress of a ...

Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. You’re standing in line at ...

ATLANTA — You're standing in line at the supermarket or drugstore when a stranger speaks up. "Hello, how are you?" the stranger greets you. "Good, and you?" might be your response. Your conversation ...

A close-up of a barista making a delicious latte coffee with milk. “Maybe it’s just a midwestern thing, but can we please stop having the cashiers ask intrusive questions to the patrons as they check ...

Whenever my cappuccino is served quickly — something that usually happens at Dunkin' and Starbucks — I approach the servers and say in Spanish or English, “I have a complaint.” They often look puzzled ...