Note: Will answer unanswered comments tomorrow.

“Don’t talk to strangers.” How many countless times have we heard that admonition? I wonder if it was really such a good idea to saturate kids’ minds with that idea. During my SAT II examinations, there were a bunch of students all standing or sitting in line. Unless they knew each other, they weren’t talking. That meant that there were long stretches of kids, all equally bored, just standing there into empty space. What could be more fun? Why, perhaps talking.

Maybe it’s just California, but I’m noticing a total dearth of interaction between people who don’t know each other very well. Any interaction is strictly business. “Excuse me,” etc.

I don’t like this direction. People point out how the concept of the neighborhood is dying; I think this is worse. We’ll completely shut ourselves off from everyone we don’t work with, or need to know. Sure, you can still meet some people, but life is more dull this way.

We could suggest the exact opposite: Don’t not talk to strangers. (Emphasis on the double-negative.) Maybe this will make those strangers less lonely. Maybe they won’t feel so angry and obligated to exact vengeance on anyone within reach. If more people know the “stranger,” that makes it more likely to catch that person if s/he ever does anything wrong.

If people are more friendly to each other, perhaps it will help stop gangs. They won’t have to shelter themselves with other deadly people.

It could bring back the concept of a neighborhood where everyone watches out for each other.

It can make people more open. As they interact with more people, they will learn new things. They will come to see different viewpoints. They can accept more diversity.

More importantly, we can stand in line and not be completely bored. We can wait in an office and not try to ignore everyone around us.

Being more friendly reciprocates. Encouraged to talk, almost everyone should become more friendly. It’ll simply make everyone happier. We won’t have to worry about being in a cold, harsh, unwanting environment because we can simply make a friend of who we’re with.

The moral: “Talk to strangers.”

[11/08/03 – EDIT: I have replied to the comment for this entry.]