We need casual strangers in our lives. The coronavirus has isolated us from them.

A recent New York Times article by Jane Brody talked about the importance of having human connection, especially during times when many of us try to stay isolated. The author calls herself an extrovert and one who loves interacting with people, even casually: other dog walkers, people at her neighborhood grocery store, fellow exercisers at her gym.

We know that relationships for people of any age are important, but what about those casual acquaintances?

Brody reports on a book she read a few years ago about called “Consequential Strangers,” by Melinda Blau and Karen Fingerman. These researchers argue that even casual interactions give us a feeling of belonging to a community, and that is what humans need. I understand that part. But what she learned next was surprising to me.

The two authors say that people who are more socially active, even casually, are more active physically. Now we do know that sitting too much is not good for our health or our brains. So having those casual conversations with a diverse group of people stimulate us and make us more likely to stay healthy. These relationships are also called “weak ties,” and much research suggests that having such ties helps people maintain emotional health, including less depression.

I also found interesting Brody’s speculation that, as we continue in our separate pandemic sites, working remotely, we are losing many of those casual relationships at work or around town.

What will happen, she speculates, when people go back to offices in a post-Covid world? Will they forgo or forget about their earlier weak ties and casual relationships? If so, that may hold negative long-term implications.

I suspect we’ll have many consequences — intended and unintended — from our currently strange ways of life (at least strange compared with what they were a year ago).

What I hope to do is track those changes and decide intentionally which I want to keep, and which I want to toss to return to older ways of living. One thing I know I want is to have those weak ties back in my life.

Nancy Napier is a Boise State University distinguished professor. nnapier@boisestate.edu

This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.