Chit-chat is a light and casual conversation that can last a few minutes. It’s not usually purposeful and can cover non-controversial topics. Successful chatting involves keeping it light, mutual, and avoiding controversial issues. It’s a useful tool for social relationships and can be done through various means, including messaging services and blogs.
Chit-chat, small talk or small talk refers to a light and casual conversation that usually lasts for a few minutes. The term comes from the word chatter, which could mean to speak or talk of a light nature. It’s called a duplicate sentence because chit and chat are both considered variants of chatter. Written use of the word has existed since the 18th century.
Generally, chats are not very purposeful dialogues. Topics could be as simple as the weather, where someone bought shoes, or just talking generally about non-controversial issues. In early written references to gossip, however, the word may be used more as gossip. Samuel Palmer, using the term in 1710, suggests that it means people are “always biting their reputations in the back,” which connotes a more malicious form of chat. While it may happen that a few minutes of chatting with someone else could be for the purpose of tarnishing a third party’s reputation, chatting with another person doesn’t necessarily have to fall on the bad guy.
In fact, learning to chat can be a useful tool, especially at the beginning of social relationships with others. You will notice that young children have difficulty with this form of conversation, often butting in topics or problems that are off-topic or too serious for real chat. Adults young and old, however, would do well to learn the polite forms of such small talk as they tend to greatly increase social ability. Not all conversations need to be hard and intense, especially in social settings like parties or when striking up a conversation with a little-known acquaintance or stranger.
Some rules for successful chatting can be observed, especially with new acquaintances. Conversations should remain light and of mutual interest to both parties. Discussions on controversial issues (religion, politics) should be avoided. Introducing bold personal details about yourself is best left for another time. Indeed, the goal of a small talk is to talk briefly and casually about nothing so that both parties to a conversation remain comfortable. This type of chat is more of a way to be friendly and assert your friendliness instead of trying to test people to see if they fit your images of ideal acquaintances.
Some people refer to small talk less formally and mean it as simply a few minutes of conversation on any topic. Rather than limiting these releases by topic, they limit them based on the length of the conversation. In this context, chatting can simply mean very short communications and does not necessarily mean physically speaking. Email, messaging services, or blogs can also be a form of chat, and topics can get deeper, more explicit, or more personal depending on who’s participating in the conversation.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
