The Benefits of Talking to Strangers
Many of us spend part of each day surrounded by strangers, whether on our daily commute, or sitting in a park or a cafe.
我们中的很多人每天都有被陌生人包围的时候，无论是在上下班的路上，还是坐在公园或咖啡馆里。
But most of them remain just that — strangers.
但这些人中的大多数仍然只是陌生人。
However, new evidence has shown that plucking up the courage to strike up a conversation might be good for our health.
然而，新的证据表明，鼓起勇气与陌生人聊天可能对我们的健康有益。
Nicholas Epley from the University of Chicago and Juliana Schroeder from the University of California are behavioural scientists.
芝加哥大学的尼古拉斯·埃普利（Nicholas Epley）和加州大学的朱丽安娜·施罗德（Juliana Schroeder）是两位行为科学家。
They looked at this silent relationship and whether solitude is a more positive experience than interacting with strangers.
他们研究了这种沉默的关系，以及沉默独处是否比与陌生人互动更积极有益。
They found that many people feel uncomfortable and intimidated talking to others and their research suggested that when we make an initial conversation "we consistently underestimate how much a new person likes us."
他们发现，许多人在和他人交谈时会感到不自在和害怕。他们的研究表明，当我们与陌生人交谈时，“我们总是低估了陌生人对我们的喜爱”。
It seems we carry a negative voice in our head telling us all the things that could go wrong and why someone wouldn't want to converse with us.
我们的脑海中似乎有一个消极的声音，告诉我们所有可能出错的事以及为什么别人不想和我们交谈。
Their research involved an experiment with a group of Chicago commuters and found that "every participant in our experiment who actually tried to talk to a stranger found the person sitting next to them was happy to chat."
他们对一群芝加哥通勤者进行了实验，发现“在我们的实验中，每个试图与陌生人交谈的参与者都发现坐在他们旁边的人很乐意聊天”。
From this and other research, the conclusion is that connecting with strangers is surprisingly pleasant and it has a positive impact on our wellbeing.
从这项研究和其他研究中，我们得出结论，与陌生人聊天令人惊喜和愉悦，并且对我们的健康产生积极影响。
Gillian Sandstrom, a social psychologist from Essex University in the UK, told the BBC that "people are in a better mood after they reach out and have a conversation, however minimal."
英国埃塞克斯大学的社会心理学家吉莉安·桑德斯特伦（Gillian Sandstrom）告诉BBC：“人们在与陌生人接触和交谈后心情会更好，无论交谈的内容多少。”
It's true that talking can make you feel happier and happiness can lead to better mental health.
的确，交谈能让人感到更快乐，而快乐能带来更好的心理健康。
However, if you're an introvert, the thought of speaking to someone new might make you anxious.
但是，如果你是个内向的人，可能一想到要和陌生人说话，你就会感到焦虑。
But the American research found "both extroverts and introverts are happier when they are asked to behave in an extroverted manner."
不过美国的研究发现“当外向者和内向者被要求表现得外向时，他们都更快乐”。
So maybe, if you're a loner, it's time to come out of your shell and make some small talk with a stranger — it could be the beginning of a new friendship.
所以，如果你是一个孤独的人，也许是时候跳出你的保护壳和陌生人聊聊天了——这可能是一段新友谊的开始。
2026年1月25日于马军场
