This is no small thing. At a time when so many people feel lonely, estranged, excluded, disconnected, pessimistic, these findings are both useful and reassuring. Interacting with strangers, even in passing, can help us build or rebuild social networks, reconnect us with our communities, and shore up trust in the people around us. As a university student who participated in one of Sandstrom"s more recent experiments reported: "I felt like I had forgotten how to make friends, but this study reminded me that most people are friendly, and you just need to put yourself out there."