There is a reason we are social. It's to be known.
To be known is to be validated.
We want people to understand us, to appreciate us, to know us.
And even in respectful disagreement, to be heard to is to be valued.
There is an old proverb - if a tree falls in the forest while no one is around, does is make a noise? Similarly, we tend to feel a sense of being who we are only if that being is recognised by another.*
This is the power of conversation - to discover another and have them discover you.
It doesn't come about through meaningless impersonal filler. It comes about by having genuine interaction.
Reveal yourself. Seek out others.
This doesn't mean making every conversation a life-changing tear-jerker. But each conversation should potentially be a unique interaction involving real thought, not the fodder of small talk.
In doing so, people discover you. And you discover them.
Let's Talk.
(* Is that true? Maybe, maybe not. Ask what your friends think, it's another conversation starter.)
I’ve been chatting on Facebook Messenger with Meta AI. And it was not what I expected.
Try this fun exercise the next time you are helping someone celebrate their birthday.
Even for those trying to do the right thing, practising inclusiveness can feel like a mine field.
How can you spice up your life & your conversation at a time when it is hard to make plans?
Introduce friends in a way that sparks instance conversation and memorable interactions.