Do you make small talk to avoid awkward situations?

I amnot one of those ho gets uncomfortable during a silence even if it is with somebody I don't know that well but, in certain situations I think it is more polite to make conversation with people so if that was the case then I would make the effort to talk to people around me. x

I'm a conversationalist. I'd rather be by myself, but if there are other people around, I tend to take the opportunity to learn something when it offers itself. Of course you can get burned that way on occasion, but it is also possible to discover some new tidbit of information, and usually it does make the time go faster, with some exceptions of course.

Hi there gitfiddleplayer, It depends..First I will observe the people next to me if friendly sometimes, it's in the facial expression of the person if they are interested to talk or prefer to be by themselves..If I can see some of these signs, I will start talking!

Well most of the time other people will start a conversation with me. But sometime i do start conversations with complete stranger just to break the silence, especially when i know that i have a long time to wait before i am attended too. And the most ironic thing is most of the time people who were never in the conversation join in, that makes the talk even sweeter.

No, It makes things worse because you seem not to know what you want to really say.

I dread being next to someone on a plane and having them yakking away to me when I don't feel in the mood. Usually in doctors' or dentists' surgeries, I open my book and they don't bother me. I don't mind chatting in supermarket queues, but not that keen if I know we're going to be stuck together for hours.

I'm one of the quiet ones that will just sit there and read a book or play games on my cell phone.

i will just keep quiet and look around, unless they start to talk to me 1st.. lol =D I'm not one to take initiative because i'm used to be alone and silence.. hehe

Oh me I will talk to anyone, at bustops, check out queues, doctors waiting rooms and before long most people have joined in. Somedays though I just bury my head in a book or maagzine as I really don't feel like talking. Ellie :D

I have redirect the subject to something else,mostly asking personal questions so that I can have time to think another seconds or minutes while he is preparing to answer my questions.