Hacker News Reader

To each their own, but I would never want to work with someone who could not engage in small talk. We are a gregarious species, and there is so much more communicated between the stories, stupid jokes, and general banter (non-verbal)

This post reads more like a personal observation of social anxiety and the maladaptive behaviors borne of it.

I actually feel sorry for him because something so human and natural causes so much anxiety.

View on HN

Or perhaps he hates engage in small-talk over the phone, instead of face-to-face. Or maybe he doesn't like to engage in chitchat with just about anyone and reserves that for friends and family. Or we could judge him as a pathetic guy who merely airs his maladaptive behaviors on the Web.

Yes, we can and will judge, for it is our nature (and there is nothing wrong with that). The fault lies in our stubbornness to accept another point of view or to change our minds in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

But in MY case I simply offer another point of view. Take it at face value and save the speculation for the Mars probe news :-)

Oddly, I enjoy small talk in person in very small groups, but hate small talk at "networking" events (like a cocktail party). It's all about the context.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com