Dr. Cara narrates an anecdote about elevator awkwardness and describes intentionally 'breaking the social rules' to turn elevator rides into daily social experiments. The piece frames small, ordinary moments as opportunities to practice connection and find common ground rather than avoid interaction.
Have you ever noticed how incredibly awkward elevators can be? You step into this tiny metal box with complete strangers, and suddenly everyone becomes fascinated by their shoes, the floor numbers, or that one scratch on the wall they've apparently never seen before. For months, I rode the elevator to the top floors of the building I worked in, watching the same social experiment play out every sing single day. People shuffling in, finding their corners, creating this invisible force field of please don't talk to me. And then I decided to break these rules. What happened next didn't just change my elevator rides. It became a daily experiment for navigating awkward situations and using my skill to connect, to find common ground with people. Sometimes the most profound insights come from the most ordinary moments.
