People often underestimate the enjoyment of "boring" conversations.

Engagement, not topic, drives enjoyment in live conversations.

Conversations connect us, even when topics seem mundane.

Although conversations are such a normal and mundane part of our social lives, we are often surprisingly anxious around them. People tend to believe that others like them less than they actually do, and that they have talked for longer than the other person wanted. Yet conversations are such an integral part of how we get to know others, relate to others, and connect with them that we want to make sure to get these conversations right. After all, an awkward or stilted conversation can make human connection quite difficult.

New research focuses on one particular worry that people have around conversations: the idea that some topics are too boring to make for a good conversation. A paper by Elizabeth Trinh from the University of........

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