Contrary to popular belief – small talk is not devoid of substance.
There are vast worlds of meanings, emotions, personalities, relations, concealed between the words – if only you can listen.
With many people – the only way to avoid hearing another conceited lecture or bombastic monologue — is to small-talk them.
Small talk at least attempts at communication.
The ego-fest we like to call conversation outright avoids it. Certainly if your preordained idea of a conversation is but this compulsive propagation of your world. Your word.
I take small talk over a lecture any day.