“This is not just polite. It is part of being a citizen and a responsible member of society. It is also a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break down social barriers, and understand whom you should and should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know the psychological landscape of your daily life.”
Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny
Years ago when I was doing in-person markets for my company, Orange Twist, I had a visitor to my booth ask me how I was doing that day: they were the only person in a string of many, many, interactions who took the time to stop and have a conversation. This small talk felt incredibly kind and generous, and in that moment I became a person who makes small talk with cashiers, or who, when walking around my neighborhood, tries to make eye contact and nod or smile to people I pass in uncrowded, public spaces.
I grew up in a town of 40,000 people and this was standard practice. My grandmother took small talk to another level, chatting with anyone and everyone in line. Making eye contact and small talk is the first step to being in community and a way to both feel seen and help others feel safe and seen. It’s really the least we can do for those around us, and Snyder argues that in times of tyranny, small gestures like these can take on even greater significance, since they can help us to decipher who is trustworthy and who is not. —Claire
Watch Snyder’s YouTube video on this tenet here.
This lesson was letterpress printed with handset wood type and Pantone 354 ink on a Vandercook proofing press.
