How Talk can change lives?

I have just finished reading this book written by Theodore Zeldin.

This little book is delightful and insightful. Basically the book is about the importance of conversation in our lives. It explains how conversation is at the root of creativity; how it is better than laws in helping to change our mind-sets and how it can make life more interesting, friendly or passionate.

Reading it has stimulated conversation itself and my thinking about how and why we talk. These lines got me thinking..

• "Conversations on the border line of what I understand and what I don't"
• "I look forward to being a part of a new conversation."
• "We still have so much to learn in the art of communication."
• "What job offers the most enchanting and surprising conversations?"
• "Our education is not complete until we have held a conversation with every continent."
• Conversation has to explore new territory to become an adventure.

It is up to us to decide on the kind of conversations we have... be aware that strangers are more inclined to listen.

Zeldin talks about The New Conversation.The author hopes the new century will be more adventurous. "What is missing from the world is a sense of direction, because we are overwhelmed by the conflicts which surround us. He suggests we start conversations to dispel that darkness, using them to create equality, to give ourselves courage, to open ourselves up to strangers, and most practially, to remake our working world."

"Help the young people to escape from the narrowness of specialist fields and give older people more opportunities to share their experience with the young, to counter the segregation of the generations and of knowledge."

"What can a letter do that a conversation can't?"

I think I would enjoy being a professional eavesdropper :)

p.s. I would be really glad if you were to tell me what you think. What would a map of your conversation look like?