As an American who's lived extensively abroad, I still remain deeply confused by the confusion around small talk.

Of course I chat with the waitress or barista. She's a human being, she's probably cute, I might be single, this is one of the ways you get dates! Or just get to know someone -- everybody's interesting!

If it's a guy, of course I'm curious where he's from, why he's here, what he thinks of the place, what he recommends. People are fascinating and everybody's story is unique.

I used to be far less social, and then I started to realize that these kinds of interactions are one of the great pleasures in life. Even if you only exchange five sentences, you can make a quick joke and share a moment of connection.

There's nothing fake or insincere or dishonest about it at all. It doesn't matter if you're being served or serving someone else, it's just always more pleasant to treat someone else as an interesting human being and be treated as one in return.