Is “How are you?” a bad question?

CNBC published an article with a bit of clickbait: “Stop asking ‘how are you?’ Harvard researchers say this is what successful people do when making small talk.”

Despite all the ads on the page, the article has some good points on how to converse with small talk.

Here’s an overarching principle worth memorizing: If you can figure out a place within you that actually cares about the other person, the small talk won’t feel forced.