Reason I ask is, I’ve spent years trying to improve my social skills, one method being forcing myself to be friendly and small talk as social glue/lubricant and making people happy. I’ve trained myself to behave as if “pointless” small talk had thoss points; in my mind it is full of purpose, not frivolous at all. Was I wrong all along? Should I go back to my old ways, back to never talking to anyone, being insular and anti-social? Or is there a middle way that let’s me avoid idle chatter without coming across as a standoffish, quiet jerk?
A Quest to Recover Buddha's True Teachings