Talking To People

One of the worst failings of this blog environment is the misuse of communication. While a blog entry is, by definition a monologue, the comment section can and should be a dialogue, with as many participants as is practicable. Nothing kills a conversation faster than someone who talks at people instead of with them.

Sometimes it's inadvertent. Other times it's deliberate. Always it is the result of an ego needing to be fed. In the realm of ideological warfare there is no shortage of ego (yours truly included). So how then do conversationalists manage to avoid the pitfall of ego-driven "gotcha" sessions that satisfy no real purpose and advance no positive dialog?

Obviously, the first step is recognition. We all have principles and beliefs that we wish to promote. Ego in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it can lead to some very negative results. When we see in ourselves absolutes, we essentially put on blinkers. Dialogue is impossible when afflicted by tunnel vision. You are as correct as the next person, at least in your own mind. The task is not to pummel them into agreement, but to persuade them. The lazy can never manage this. It's much easier to resort to ridicule than to exercise logic.

The second step is even harder. Listen. Hear. Understand. It is impossible to apply logic to an argument with your fingers in your ears. Shouting down an opposing viewpoint does not negate it. Arrogance is no substitute for intelligence.