Thursday, July 15, 2010

failed conversations

Conversations can be complex. Especially about subjects where people have diverse views and they intend to stick their ground, no matter what. It requires skills to have meaningful and useful conversations, conversations that can build on divergent views and result in all parties take something back.

Most often, however, such high voltage conversations degenerate into futile debates and arguments. And sadly one voice amongst many can spoil a conversation with tremendous potential. Its rather sad, and most often unavoidable. We are at times incapable to listening to a different point of view, because we are so convinced that we are right, often in situations where there may not be any right or wrong at all. Its an opportunity lost.

We are passionate about our views, but it makes a lot of sense to be sensible and realise that there can be many right views. Who knows, a minute change of mindset may trigger a much bigger and a very positive and welcome change in us.

We should listen. It always pays.

9 comments:

  1. very true!
    But I expect a comment or two from someone who doesn't agree to this!
    ;)
    It's a bad situation. I mean, if the conversation involves a 'RIGHT' person and a good listener, it just helps the 'right' person to feel even more 'right'!
    If the conversation involves two 'RIGHT' people, it's just audio-ego-psycho noise!

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  2. true bhavin...two 'right' people may end up making boring conversation. but its highly unlikely that two people will have exact same views with nothing to build on. One wold surely be faking in that case...

    but i find it so disappointing when a good conversation fails. and it happens with most interesting conversations. with many many people, no one specific here :)

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  3. ohh, by two 'right' people i mean two with different views and thinking theirs is THE right!
    not with same view!
    I prefer being a good listener in such cases (i am... even otherwise!).
    I dnt find it worth talking to open-mouth-closed-ears people.

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  4. Its not about being right, its just that how strongly one feels that he/she is right.

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  5. Never thought of it like that before. Perhaps that's because I like to argue sometimes. :P

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  6. I wonder if we can listen at all. I wonder if having many right views make them less right or more right at all. Nice post anyway! :)

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  7. thanks anna. even am not sure, sometimes we think we are listening, but often thats what we think. its very tough to be a good listener for others too...

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