Usually when I travel, my hood is up, shades are on, and my JBL noise-cancelling headphones squash the cacophony around me. I used to be a small-talk champ while on the road, but decided over the years that I was not only tired of that but too tired for that.
The NYT's Jancee Dunn wrote an article about the big benefits of small talk last week, and after my own week of chit-chat with visitors to our office, guests at the concert we hosted & even our monthly radio show, it got me thinking: maybe I'm doing myself a disservice.
Paradoxically, a professionally gregarious yet frequently pro-solitude dude like myself could certainly benefit from more "novelty, different perspectives, unexpected recommendations and learning opportunities".
Dunn references Gillian Sandstrom, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Sussex, whose book, “Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How ‘Small Talk’ Can Add Up to a Big Life,” is coming out soon, and it distills 16 years of research on talking to strangers.
Spoiler: she found that talking to strangers can improve your well-being and your social skills, plus reduce anxiety and social biases, and make you feel more connected. Considering the state of the world, these are improvements we could all use and stress/biases we should lose. So that should be a decision that is easy to choose!
This is a reminder that I should never be too tired to be inspired. And I hope it is for you too! : )
thank you for reading, and have a good week,
Jon
Twotone is celebrating 11 Years and we've updated our annual offer: Every paid subscriber makes a big difference! Thank you! 😊
March
- 🇳🇱 8 Pathfinder Giro
- 🇳🇱 14 12hr Alleycat (Twotone HQ is the karaoke checkpoint!)
- 🇩🇪 20-22 Cyclingworld w/ 2moso Germany, Veloe, Moustache & OMNIUM
April
- 🇬🇧 24-26 BESPOKED London
Bikes
Celebrating 20 Years, Dutch Boutique Distributor 2moso Announces Cyclingworld Plans & Entry Into German Market Under Its Own Name.
Is This The Perfect City eBike? Moustache Dimanche 28 Urban Review In Amsterdam | Fully Charged
Veloe Showcases multi & multi lungo at Cyclingworld Europe
Ideas
MÉRIDA MILLER | Claiming Your Space, Taking Risks & Letting Go of Self-Doubt
Castelli sat down with Mérida Miller — founder of Project Fearless, community builder with No Ordinary Women, TEDx speaker, gravel athlete, and self-described professional hype girl. "Mérida has made it her life’s work to empower young girls and gender-fluid youth to try new things, fall, and get back up again. From skateparks and classrooms, she has spent the past seven years helping girls and athletes build confidence through action — not by waiting to feel ready. In this deeply honest conversation, Mérida opens up about training courage one brave step at a time, redefining confidence, and leaning on community and hype-crew through panic attacks, long gravel race battles, and life’s in-between chapters." Awesome stuff, Mérida!
AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It
Aruna Ranganathan
" In an eight-month study of how generative AI changed work habits at a U.S.-based technology company with about 200 employees, we found that employees worked at a faster pace, took on a broader scope of tasks, and extended work into more hours of the day, often without being asked to do so." yeah, that doesn't sound cool at all. 🤦♂️
The Art of Nostalgia | Wes Anderson’s history films
Andrew Eckholm
"Nostalgia is ineradicable: dangerous when channeled, but even more dangerous to ignore. The question, then, is not whether to feel nostalgia but what to do with it." A long-winded cautionary tale & verbose critique of Anderson's recent work, with which I can only agree.
Friends
Stephanie Dietze's Freelance Website: Brand Voice & Storytelling
Laura Stoker
I featured Stephanie's blog/newsletter here recently and told her to give me a shout when her freelance site was up. Well, here is it is and it looks great!
Damn 24 Registration is Open!
This Mobile Bicycle Mechanic is Changing Amsterdam | Catching Up With David
David, aka @trackloscotia, of Wiel Spin, mobile bike repair, did a ride around & interview with Terry Barentsen a few months ago, and I failed to share it until now. Check it out here!
Radness
Requiem for a Dragon by Fabio de Almeida
"Musically, Requiem for a Dragon threads two of Fabio’s core obsessions: the search for beauty in the spiritual clarity and harmonic colors of Olivier Messiaen, and a subtle 1970s sci-fi patina shaped by synth textures that nod to Vangelis (Blade Runner) and the eerie optimism of films like Logan’s Run."
Thank you for reading!
Here's to not being too tired to be inspired this week!