Skipping the Small Talk

It is truly amazing how much you can get to know about a person by skipping the small, often obligatory task that so many seem to despise: small talk. 
Today, in my sociology class the professor, a fairly radical guy, had the class do a "get-to-know-you" exercise. Almost as soon as he said "get-to-know-you", the inward grumbling and general sense of disdain was palpable. However, as he explained it, the class realized that it wasn't just the typical, turn to your partner and ask their major, hometown, and favorite color. No, it was seemingly a lot more complicated than that; he wanted us to skip the superficial stuff and delve right into the nitty gritty of our new acquaintance's hopes, dreams and aspirations.
And yet, as I turned to the girl next to me (whose last name I still don't know), I learned so much more about her than I probably would have sitting next to her all semester: she loves books that make her cry, she dreams of being able to join the Peace Corps, and if she could do nothing else, she would want to play the Bari-sax.
Even more, as we went down the rows of new acquaintance after new acquaintance introducing one another, I got little snippets of each person's personality that went beyond what he was wearing or what her hair looked like. 
I got a true snapshot of my partner's personality (as well as a glimpse at what makes my other classmates tick) in a matter of mere seconds, and I really can't say that I have ever gotten that before.