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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Ian Sample Science editor

Hate small talk? You may enjoy that ‘dull’ chat more than you think, say researchers

A woman yawning while being spoken to by a man who out of focus is in the foreground
People were asked to rate how much they thought they would enjoy discussing a topic such as the stock markets, vegan diets and Pokémon. Photograph: diego_cervo/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The human aversion to dull experiences was nailed by the author Paulo Coelho when he declared: “I can stand defeats, pain, anger. But I can’t stand boredom.”

But the natural desire to avoid boring conversations comes at a cost, according to researchers, who found that people enjoyed chatting about tedious topics far more than they expected.

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