Blog
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It's easier to type than to say it out loud
On why text gives you a moment to think words over before they land — and why we sometimes admit more to a stranger typing than to someone speaking to out loud.
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Silence in a conversation with a stranger doesn't have to be awkward
On why a pause in a conversation with someone new is more often a sign of comfort than failure — unlike silence with people we already know.
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What counts as polite in one country can feel odd in another
On why the rules of politeness aren't universal — and why that's worth remembering when you're talking to someone on the other side of the world.
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You don't have to be in a good mood to talk to someone
On why some of the most human conversations happen when you're not at your best — and someone chooses to just sit with that.
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Goodnight from someone you'll never meet in person
On late conversations that end with a simple 'goodnight, it was nice talking to you' — and why that's enough of an ending.
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Sometimes it's enough that someone just replies
On the small, ordinary relief of a stranger saying 'hey, how's it going' on a day when no one else did.
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The one sentence that turns a boring conversation into a memorable one
On how one small, unexpected question can pull something surprising out of someone, and why it's worth risking a slightly weird one.
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How talking to strangers abroad speeds up language learning
On why twenty minutes talking to a native speaker teaches more than an hour with a textbook.
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Why waiting for the "right moment" to talk to someone is a trap
On how the perfect moment for a conversation never actually arrives, and why the best ones start exactly when nothing points to them.
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Why it's easier to admit something stupid to a stranger than to a friend
On the small, embarrassing, not-a-big-deal things we'd rather tell someone we just met than someone who actually knows us.
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A conversation as the cheapest trip you can take tonight
On how twenty minutes talking to someone in another country can give you a taste of being somewhere else, without leaving the couch.
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"We'll never talk again" — why that makes a conversation better, not worse
On the strange freedom of talking to someone you'll never see again, and why it often leads to more honesty, not less.
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Why small talk isn't a waste of time
On why seemingly empty questions like 'how are you' and 'where are you from' do more work in a conversation than people give them credit for.
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Boredom: the best reason to start talking to someone new
On why an ordinary boring evening can be a better excuse to meet someone new than any big life plan.
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How talking to someone from another country changes how you see your own life
On how one conversation with someone living in completely different circumstances can show us our own problems in a new light.
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Why it's sometimes easier to open up to a stranger than to a friend
On a phenomenon psychologists call the 'stranger on a train effect' — and why our most honest conversations sometimes happen with people we'll never see again.
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Lonely in a crowd: why we look for conversations with total strangers
On the paradox of being surrounded by people yet feeling unseen — and why it's sometimes easier to find closeness with someone we've never met before.
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Small things that connect people despite differences
On how it's not the big topics that build a sense of closeness with someone from across the world — it's the completely ordinary, everyday details.
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What talking to strangers taught me
A few lessons left over from hundreds of conversations with people I never met again — about listening, curiosity, and how little we actually know about each other.
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What we don't tell friends, but tell complete strangers online
On things that are easier to admit to someone anonymous on the other side of a screen than to people we've known for years — and why that's not a sign of weakness.
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That strange feeling when someone finally understands you
On how a small moment of being understood by a complete stranger can stay with you for a long time — and why language doesn't have to get in the way.
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How to Stay Safe When Meeting People Online
A few practical rules worth keeping in mind when meeting new people online — no panic, just common sense.
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How to Start a Conversation with a Stranger Online
A few simple ways to start a conversation with someone new online — no pressure, no rehearsed lines.