Keep It Flowing and Smooth

Yes, small talk and all of its incarnations are quite dreadful as a whole. But that doesn't change the fact that we are at least partially responsible for the outcomes we've gotten. What can we do to keep small talk from going stale and heading to a place where none of the people involved want to go? Sometimes it's like watching a slow descent into a black hole—you know where you're going, and it seems like there is nothing you can do about it other than ride it out. So here are a few more ways to keep small talk anything but small.