We tend to think real connection value only comes from close friends and family, but researchers found that brief, ordinary exchanges with near-strangers — the barista, the person on the train — measurably raise happiness and a sense of belonging

Ask people to picture a good commute and many of us imagine the same thing: quiet. No small talk, no eye contact, no stranger to deal with. But when researchers tested this, the commuters who did the opposite came out happier. Nicholas Epley, a behavioural scientist at the University of Chicago, found that “commuters on [...] The post We tend to think real connection value only comes from close friends and family, but researchers found that brief, ordinary exchanges with near-strangers — the bar