The Death of Conversation - Simran Bhargava's first post
Simran Bhargava - August 16, 2005

Who killed conversation ? It’s been ages since I tasted the real thing. Conversation: Deep, intimate, satisfying conversation. Most of the conversations one has with people these days taste like rubber. “Oh, hello darling, how are you ?” “Fine.” “What’s up ?” “Oh, so busy, doing so many things. Really we must get together soon.”

Many of these conversations happen at cocktail parties or at Page Three parties, with the person talking to you looking over your shoulder to see if anyone more important walked in.

Conversation used to be a big deal once. Really talking. Really listening. I grew up in a family where evenings were spent sitting in the garden, a large fan blowing a soothing breeze over us, fresh nimboo pani being served all around. Friends and cousins would drop in, pull up a chair and the circle grew wider. We’d talk about news events and the everyday stuff of our lives. Nothing terribly important but still deeply connecting. These conversations gave our lives texture.

It wasn’t all that long ago.

Over the years, though, conversation began to lose its prime place in our lives. My guess is that several things killed conversation: television killed it. I now go to visit someone and they are usually watching television and so we talk to each other—sort of—but with half an ear on the television.

And cocktail parties killed conversation. Not much happens at these parties in terms of conversation. Lots of networking sure. Lots of new contacts made. But nothing real shared, nothing real exchanged. And so we go home, empty. Not having felt really heard.

Other things have killed conversation too. Lack of time. Shorter attention spans.
I deeply mourn this loss because few things are quite as satisfying as a deep intimate conversation.

Real conversation requires full presence. It requires listening and empathy.
A great conversation opens up spaces in your mind, it helps you mine thoughts even you didn’t know you had. Few pleasures can rival that.

Real conversation, ultimately is about intimacy. And intimacy is about knowing and being known. It requires time and reflection and wonder and curiosity, qualities that keep a relationship moist. I think when conversation dies, we lose something very soulful.

found this on the net, its really a very good post...
well i didn't just find it
but for the debate la, haha...
hopefully if the situation allows
i would replace someone up on the board
who was chosen to represent the class for the inter-class debate
and be on the propo
so that this would still be useful after tml's class debate...