Last Updated on April 12, 2026

Deep conversations occur usually when people feel safe – that is often within their own community. Kardas et al. (2021) suggested immediate deep conversations could be particularly awkward. In other words, to connect with others on a deeper level, feeling safe and comfortable is key.

Since the Industrial Revolution, mechanical engineering and technology have created more ease in human life. However, modern humans seem to spend less meaningful time on building resilience and learning from each other. Fortunately and unfortunately, the current dynamic system appears to be built on anonymity and ambiguity. Some feel more encouraged to share their opinions anonymously, while others tend to treat certain groups of people condescendingly based on stereotypes and prejudice.

the ramification of discrimination

Among different types of discrimination, racial discrimination is one of the toughest subjects. As previously mentioned, a server, from a restaurant I visited during my solo mental health vacation, discriminated against me for no particular reason. Sadly, the issue persists. According to their reviews, many others voiced similar concerns. For instance, servers would deliberately arrange seats based on people’s physical appearances and the receptionists refused to make reservations for people whose ancestors weren’t the first settlers in our country.

The truth is, human migration brings in rich history and cultures. In modern times, if it weren’t for tourists, temporary visitors and immigrants, this country (or many immigrant countries) would not have been as strong as it is today. Racial discrimination and all other discriminations, e.g., gender, age and medical conditions, derive from misunderstanding, miscommunication and disinformation.

having Deep Conversations is a game changer

There are 3 benefits of having deep conversations: it helps form friendships, avoids misinterpretation and helps us understand each other in real time.

the core of Racism And Discrimination

Why is there supremacism, which often leads to racism, gender discrimination, homophobia (sexual orientation discrimination), ageism (age discrimination), disability discrimination, marital status discrimination, systematic discrimination, etc.?

People don’t communicate with each other enough due to laziness, ignorance and/or fear of judgement, replacement, retaliation, or retribution.

Why do governments, some private companies, social enterprises or non-profits promote “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”?

Because this is the “right thing to do” according to the current political climate.

That said, even though providing proper education alone would ameliorate all forms of discrimination, it is often considered the hard path. Therefore, most choose the easy path, the band-aid solution. Rather than “walk the walk”, people with power talk the talk. Hence, little to no real improvement.

from small talk to Meaningful social Interaction

Variations of “How are you?”, for example, is practically a greeting, like “Hello”. But questions like “How was your weekend?” and “How have you been?” are misleading questions. Although these seem to be “questions”, they require no attention. Small talks have evolved into automated responses. Then, what is the point of small talk?

Take client-facing roles, for example. They are the faces of companies or organizations, who represent the first impression of a company or an organization. Asking “How are you” or a friendly greeting may determine whether they can win over customers.

On the contrary, if businesses or organizations are looking to establish a good rapport, they would need more than just “Hey, How’s it going?”. Initiating genuine and deep conversations, for example, is one of the many ways to build trust in a relationship.

Conclusion

Meaningful and deep conversations are powerful because they are the easiest and simplest ways to improve the quality of all relationships. Imagine if:

• Management teams cared more about team appreciation and recognition
• Adults were encouraged to talk about their state of mental well-being (to prevent burnout or deteriorate existing mental health conditions)

If modern humans could just listen to what others have to say, how different would the world look like?

Having deep conversations can ameliorate racism and discrimination because people can learn from each other on a deeper level. In most cases, people tend to engage in surface-level conversations if they are not romantically or physically interested in someone. With this purpose in mind, people miss the opportunity to engage with genuine dialogues that foster empathy and dismantle barriers of prejudice and miscommunication, which may lead to something unexpected in the end.

Reference

Kardas, M., Kumar, A., & Epley, N. (2021). Overly Shallow?: Miscalibrated Expectations Create a Barrier to Deeper Conversation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 122(3), 367–398. https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-pspa0000281.pdf