ABSTRACT
It would seem that this canny Frenchman, who looked us over early in the last century, put his finger on something that has a certain validity today. I, for one, as I read his remarks, recall those many times when I’ve been cornered by some self-styled expert who harangues me with his considered opinion on an interminable agenda of topics. Indeed, it seems that lately I’ve become so accustomed to being barraged with information from people who know so much more about a subject than I do that even the idea of a discussion, much less a conversation, sounds wonderfully congenial. To be clear about the difference between these two modes of discourse, we might look at their exaggerated forms. A discussion may escalate to an argument, a diatribe, and a fight. A conversation might dwindle to banter or chat. A good discussion leads to a sigh of relief, a sense of accomplishment, a gain in knowledge, and possibly a gain in income. A good conversation doesn’t have any particular shape. There’s a kind of rhythm to it, and the reassuring assumption that we’re all in this thing together. We take our cues from each other, like porpoises in a pool.
