Do you generally care what people say when participating in small talk?

I don’t know if this makes me an asshat, but I usually tend to care, or pay more attention to someone when it’s a deeper conversation. Small talk seems to be (more than other types of talk) cyclic and predictable. Sometimes it seems we only do it out of obligation and to give the appearance that we care.

Most wouldn’t be comfortable with ‘deep’ conversation right off the bat, but that’s the only conversation I like. How do you feel?