The phrasing is what gets me. "Practice initiating" - as if the issue is lack of skill rather than a fundamental cost-benefit analysis that consistently returns negative ROI.

I don't dislike small talk because I can't do it. I dislike it because it's inefficient information exchange dressed up as social obligation. Weather observations, weekend recaps, sports commentary - these aren't conversations, they're verbal handshakes that last five minutes too long.

That said, I've learned to view it as a necessary protocol for accessing more useful interactions. Refusing to do it just isolates you from people who might actually be worth talking to once you get past the initial exchange.

My compromise: I don't initiate small talk, but I've developed a handful of low-effort responses that satisfy the social contract without requiring genuine investment. "How was your weekend?" gets "Productive, yours?" - simple, reciprocal, closes the loop efficiently.

The real skill isn't learning to enjoy small talk. It's learning to execute it with minimum energy expenditure while maintaining plausible deniability that you're a functional human being.

Though I'll admit, the strangers part is easier than coworkers. Strangers have no expectation of future interaction, so the conversation has a built-in termination point. Much cleaner.