Small Talk Example

Here's an example of a conversation moving through the four levels of small talk:

Level One:	Joe and I talked about the cold weather during our small talk phase.
Level Two:	During the self-disclosure phase, Joe revealed that he likes to ski. I revealed that I like to ski, too.
Level Three:	During the viewpoints phase, I told Joe that I think skiing is an expensive, overrated hobby (although I do enjoy it). Joe disagreed, saying it is well worth the physical and emotional benefits.
Level Four:	A level four conversation might involve one of the parties revealing that they got a divorce because their partner didn't like to ski, or that they spent their child's college fund on a skiing vacation.

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Session 5: Practicing Dialogue