[MadWombat]

"but interacting with the teller adds to your quota of needed interaction for happiness"

Is there some evidence that mundane interactions with total strangers actually make everyone happier? I know some people who thrive on social interactions, but for many of us it is a chore rather than an opportunity. A rather taxing chore at that.

[greggman2]

The podcast brought both the teller and the starbucks examples up but didn't go in to research details. I agree with you it sounds sketchy and I don't know how they'd prove it one way or other really. I'm only inferring from the podcast that Laurie Santos has research to back up her claims that even these little ways of removing human interaction from our lives affect our (most people's?) happiness negatively.