Good Conversation is an Art
The art of conversation is a necessary skill for almost everything in life. The brilliance of conversation is a natural gift, but it is possible for most of us to talk with ease, grease, and information, to interest and attract our listeners. Conversations introduce you to people, important people who could be your mentors, employers, employees, partners, or friends. It requires a little practice, patience, and care. One may not be a brilliant talker but he can surely avoid becoming twaddle or a crashing bore. Willingness to listen is essential in conversation.
The conversation is civilized speech. It is more purposeful than chatter; more humane than gossip; more intimate than debate. There are creation qualities that one must cultivate if one wants to attract others to his company. Conversation, it goes without saying, to attract others to his company. Without conversations as the foundation for those relationships, you’ll have a hard time building a social circle, starting a business, or advancing your career. Conversation, without saying, is a social habit, and as such, the first thing necessary is to cultivate the virtue of politeness. One must, not contradict others merely for the sake of his opponent’s ignorance of misinformation. One should acquire the habit of listening to the point of view of others with sympathy and patience. A good listener is almost always a good talker. One should try to be interested in and talk about a variety of subjects. Wit and humor are good assets but it is not given to everyone to be witty or humorous. But next to wit, one must be able to talk with information.
Once a conversation gets going, you should have little problem maintaining that momentum—but for most of us, getting it started is the hardest part. There are some who are always in the habit of talking of them, of what they have said done in their lives. One should take of oneself only to one’s intimate friends and never is it good to have strong views of one’s own, but it is not good to regard them as infallible and try to impose them on others. Such attempts invariably lead to loss of temper, where people meet for gossip and good-fellowship.
The art of conversation, like any art, is a skill of elegance, nuance, and creative execution. If the conversation is perfectly conducted, it gives a pleasant recreation after a day of hard work. In Europe, the salons of France or the English clubs and drawing-rooms and coffee-house, ‘tortoise club’ haunted by Dr. Johnson, used to be the centers of an exciting conversation. As far as types of conversation, they vary anywhere from intellectual conversations and information exchanges to friendly debate and witty banter.
A conversation is a form of communication; however, it is usually more spontaneous and less formal. The conversation is perhaps no longer the popular feature that it used to be in words, conversation, exchange adds a flavor to the otherwise dry and dreary routine we exchange to follow nowadays.
