Talk to a Stranger Week Nov. 24-30

Talk to a Stranger Week – Because the Smallest Interactions Can Change Everything 

As we step into this year’s Talk To A Stranger Week, I wanted to reflect on one of the most powerful insights I’ve gained over nearly a decade leading Canada’s Human Connection Movement. For years, I assumed that the reason people did not reach out to one another was a lack of interest. What I have learned instead is that most of us want to connect, but we can get in our heads and convince ourselves that others don’t want to. 

I have been blessed with incredible Scientific Advisors who have joined the movement along the journey since our launch nine years ago, including Dr. Steve Joordens, who has helped me understand the psychology behind social connection and why it can sometimes feel so difficult. One concept that he shared as the greatest barrier to connection was the Fear of Negative Evaluation. Simply put, it is the fear that others might judge us. And, it stops countless people from doing the simplest thing that could make them happier: speaking to another human being.

That quote articulates the understanding that most of us need to recognize that others are far too distracted, focused or busy to actually have the thoughts that we think they have about us. 

But here is the good news.

Research from the US, UK and Canada continues to show that when two strangers talk to one another, both walk away feeling better almost every time. These interactions increase happiness, optimism, trust, and a sense of inclusion, belonging and community. They soften stress. They strengthen resilience. They expand our openness to people with different experiences and perspectives. They help us feel like we are safe in the world and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

And here is one of the most compelling Canadian findings. People who talk to strangers just once a week are up to three times happier than those who do not. Yet, only 20 percent of us report talking to strangers daily, while 43 percent do it only a few times a week. In other words, millions of us are missing out on one of the simplest and most accessible boosts to our wellbeing.

Many people, including a young student at Humber College when we launched this campus program in 2024, have stated that a stranger is just a friend you have not met yet. It’s now a key message to people throughout the campaign. 

Talk To A Stranger Week is not a gimmick. It is not small talk for the sake of small talk. It is a gentle and joyful invitation to practice something that is good for us individually and collectively. It is an excuse for those who need one, a celebration for those who already do it, and an opportunity for all of us to recognize how much we have in common.

If you already make these little interactions part of your everyday life, thank you. You are doing more than you know for your own wellbeing and for the wellbeing of the people you cross paths with. Sometimes even a brief moment of acknowledgment can be the difference between someone feeling invisible and someone feeling like they matter.

If you struggle to start these conversations, you are not alone. But here is the truth. Nobody is thinking about you nearly as much as you fear. Most people are happy to be acknowledged. And every single time you try, you build confidence in your ability to connect.