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I don't have the source, but I remember reading a study that noticed we are more open to strangers than we are to immediate friends and family. Like, the things people say on a first encounter with a stranger are truly honest and reveal a lot about our character. You would think it's the opposite (keep your head down, don't divulge too much) but it's not.

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I’m actually not all that surprised by this. Strangers are easy to talk to, most likely you’ll never see them again and they’ll forget you 5 minutes after you leave the room. You can be anyone with them. Why not be your truest self? Friends and family are more complicated, there are layers of expectations and history that put you in a box in their eyes and it can be hard to break out of that box even if it no longer fits. You need to see them again in the future and most people avoid conflict with the people they care about further limiting your ability to be fully honest.

I think it's because the stranger is more likely to be inconsequential to your life.

Accidentally saying something unusual\upsetting\strange to family and friends is more likely to have blowback for the rest of your life

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