It's what people who don't know each other talk about on elevators. And not about the weather at all. Chatting about the weather with strangers is about emotional comfort (,). When someone says "Beautiful day today, isn't it?" as you settle into that narrow elevator space, or at the bus stop, or waiting in line at the supermarket, the conversation is about feelings. The person is speaking to feel more comfortable with you and offering you a chance to feel more comfortable with him or her. Being in close proximity with strangers creates interpersonal tension. We can't help it. Tension automatically seeks resolution. What will you do? Do you notice the person now only a short distance away, or pretend not to notice? Avoidance is one strategy: never make eye contact and act as if nobody is there, even when your feelings tell you. In a supermarket checkout line you might leaf through a magazine. On elevators, we often avoid others by looking up at the floor numbers. The other strategy is to break the tension by noticing the other person. It starts with eye contact. Then we have a choice: smile, nod, make a remark or strike up a conversation. If we choose to talk, the most non-controversial   subject to talk about is the weather. A remark about the weather evokes   agreement and feelings of sympathy. "What a nice day!" shares a tiny sliver of happiness. "I wonder if this rain will ever end." shares the bad feelings with each other. Both ends of the mini-conversation feel a tiny bit more connected by experiencing this emotion of liking or disliking the weather at the same moment. What would be the best title of the text?
Chatting with strangers The importance of small talk An interesting topic Talking about weather with strangers