Talking to strangers might make you happier, a study on 'relational diversity' finds

Adding strangers to our circle of friends may increase our happiness.

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It might be beneficial for your well-being if you strike up a conversation with a stranger in line at the grocery store.

A group of researchers found a correlation between happiness and the term "relational diversity."

Using public data from sources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the World Health Organization, the researchers were able to analyze data sets and survey responses from people. There is a relationship between the level of satisfaction and the level of diversity.

According to a study co-authored by a Harvard Business School student, there are two elements to diversity.

Richness is the number of people you interact with in a day. That could be a loved one, a family member or a stranger.

The more they talk to each other, the happier they are. Collins said that they found this in a large sample.

The distribution of conversations is related to evenness. Some people interact with their colleagues more than their family members.

Collins said that if you have a few conversations with colleagues, a few with friends, a few with a romantic partner or a couple chats with strangers, that's going to be more even.

The study sheds light on the idea that humans are social creatures. It's important to have a support system, but it's not the only one.

This mix is what it is about. She said it's about connecting with people who are close to you, who are less close to you, and other people who give different kinds of support.

The idea is that the more diverse your social portfolio, the better you are.

The findings of the study ring true for New Yorkers.

"One thing I love about living in our neighborhood is that you can go to a grocery store and have a conversation with someone," said Bice, who lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint.

"After the few years that we've all been through, it's nice to have interactions with people or to talk to someone in the park or meet someone when you walk your dog."

Mike Jones likes those interactions.

"I go to the corner store, and I talk to someone, and we'll be talking about basketball, drinking, and stuff." No, it don't matter. He said we just start a conversation. We run into each other when we see them at a corner store. You end up chilling when it goes from point A to point B.

What about Collins. Her research may have affected her social habits.

I'm not an easy person to get along with. I like spending time with my cat. I joined the guitar class because I was going to see people. It will be nice to chat with them. I don't need them to be my best friends. They will add this diversity to my social life by being acquaintances.