Weather is an age-old topic that each of us has probably discussed more times than we can count.
“It’s boiling outside!”
“I heard it’s supposed to rain all weekend.”
“The snow’s gonna hit around 9 tonight.”
Sometimes, we even make fun of ourselves for always talking about something so cliche and banal. Yet it doesn’t do anything to stop the conversation.
Why is that?
For One, It’s Safe
Weather is difficult to disagree on, given you and your conversation partner are together in real-time. If you’re both outside during a heatwave and one of you brings it up, the other isn’t likely to disagree. There simply isn’t a reason to. This simple conversation fills the silence while dispelling any possibility for arguments.
Strangers are hard to judge. You never know what will come out of their mouths. But when talking about the weather, there are only so many things they can say.
It Promotes Connection
Talking about the weather brings strangers together. It creates a bit of human connection in a society that doesn’t always excel in that category.
That connection can still be created with someone experiencing entirely different weather than you, too. Say you’re video-chatting with a cousin in Anchorage, Alaska, from where you are in Tampa Bay, Florida. The two of you will surely have a lot to talk about in terms of different weather patterns.
Testing the Waters
Weather talk is a good way to break the ice. If you’re trying to get a read on someone, you can do so by bringing up the weather. Their mood – and even their personality – might be discernible through their response.
For example, if you bring up the heavy snowfall and a person responds with gripes and grumbles, they’re probably not in the mood to talk at all. But if you mention it to a different person who excitedly tells you how they plan on making a snowman when they get home, there’s sure to be a fun conversation that follows.
Let’s Admit It, It’s A Habit
If you work in an environment outside your home, it’s likely that you talk about the weather every day. And why not? The weather is different every day, so there’s always something new to talk about. And the fact is that we’re so used to it, it’d be hard to stop if we wanted to. What else changes every day that everyone can relate to? Not much.
Guess we’re going to have to stick with the weather talk. But no one’s really complaining.
There’s always a way to spice up weather conversations, though. If you want something interesting to say, keep an eye on our social media for the next two weeks as we share fun facts about different types of clouds and weather systems.