In Defense of Saying Hello
The article discusses the importance of simple greetings in building community connections. The author reflects on their experiences in Silicon Valley, where greetings are often initiated by one person, contrasting it with a smaller city where people are more likely to acknowledge each other. It highlights how these small interactions can create a sense of belonging and recognition among individuals.
- ▪The author often initiates greetings during daily walks in Silicon Valley.
- ▪In a smaller city, people are more likely to greet each other and engage in brief conversations.
- ▪The author compares human connections to mycelium networks that sustain and connect communities.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
On my daily walks through Silicon Valley, I’ve noticed something small but persistent: if a hello happens, I am almost always the one who initiates it.It’s not that people are unfriendly. Quite the opposite—this is a place full of thoughtful, driven, often generous people. But they are also, like me, frequently elsewhere: in their heads, in their work, in the quiet urgency of whatever problem they are trying to solve. I know the look because I wear it myself. I’ve been told, more than once, that someone passed me on the levee and I didn’t even register their presence. Recently, someone asked if it had been me, walking and absentmindedly doing what could only be described as a hand jive. It was.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at TIME — Top.
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