Ted Talk By Kio Stark Analysis

Kio Stark discusses the benefit of talking to strangers in her TED Talk, “Why You Shouldn’t Talk to Strangers”. She explains that although many grow up with the saying, “stranger danger”, it may not be so black and white. A simple greeting to a stranger has no real semantic meaning, rather they acknowledge somebody else’s presence. Through her recording of interactions with strangers, Stark has found unexpected pleasures and genuine emotional interactions through everyday conversations with stranger. She explains that the reason people in general are wearisome of strangers is because people don’t have any context of them. Subconsciously, the human brain likes to categorize people. The author states, “ We see male, female, young, old, black, brown, white, stranger, friend, and we use the information in that box. It's quick, it's
easy and it's a road to bias.” (Stark) She goes on to say that it makes people think of others not as individuals.
She points out a phenomenon called fleeting intimacy. It is a brief experience that causes emotional meaning and resonance. Many feel much more comfortable opening up to a stranger than their family member or close friend because they feel more understood by them. This special connection is vital and is something people need almost as much as family and friends. Stark explains that there are two reasons for this. Stark adds, “The first one is that it's a quick interaction. It has no consequences. It's easy to be honest with someone you're never going to see again, right? That makes sense. The second reason is where it gets more interesting. We have a bias when it comes to people we're close to. We expect them to understand us. We assume they do, and we expect them to read our minds.” Although Stark believes talking to strangers is healthy, she also advises to always know when it is good to be friendly, and when not to be. She shares multiple ways in which one could strike up a conversation with a stranger. She concludes with the fact that these interactions interrupt one’s daily narrative as well as the person they are chatting with.
As I already try to engage in conversations with strangers, this video has just encouraged my current actions.
I would talk to strangers because I do feel more relaxed when I talk to a random stranger rather than somebody I talk to every day. This is because, as Stark admits, the stranger is somebody we never will meet again, and there are no consequences of saying or doing something that someone you know well would judge you for. I also feel more important or valued when somebody does something as simple as greeting me, even if I don’t know who that person is. This is similar to Stark’s idea of “fleeting intimacy”. If I have a longer conversation with a stranger, I feel I have made a certain connection with that person. Furthermore, if we share common interests, we could become some sort of friends for a longer period of time, rather than for just a few minutes. Also, now I know some easy ways to start a conversation, which can make talking to strangers easier, and then I will be more inclined to do so. Because of its obvious benefits, talking to strangers should no longer be frowned upon. Instead, it should be celebrated and
encouraged.