By useful, contextual analogy to the tragic and irreversible phenomenon of a member of the animal world becoming threatened and then extinct, the phenomenon of human conversation has, of late, observably declined to the status of ” Threatened Species”. It may by now, have already merited the tragic and possibly irretrievable classification of “Extinct.”
The virtues of our thematic, “conversation” exist beyond the existential necessity of purveying information or extending societal civilities. It includes the essentially valuable exchange of ideas and observations by the medium of elected dialogue; perhaps metaphysically foundational to the balance and very existence of society.
The designation of “Homo Sapiens,” encompasses more than the requisite mental capability for the understanding of survival skills, but notably, the ability to ubiquitously communicate with others of the species. We would observe that the communication of information or acknowledgment of familiarity is “speech,” or “talk” while the elective exchange of ideas or observations with others, may be appropriately designated as “conversation.” Man’s facility of speech is the foundation of human-to-human communication, existentially necessary to the survival of the tribal group or society. The elective franchise of “conversation” as a social phenomenon, however, is quintessentially catalytic for the development and progress of individual and societal advancement. From a cultural or ethnic purview, as well, it is fraternal and enriching.
The existence of “conversation” is fundamentally dependent upon the elective interpersonal willingness and perhaps, diverting desire to exchange personal observations or points of view on matters of mutual interest to the participants. It is enriching, thought-provoking, and, at times, manifestly utilitarian. As we have often written, it is fertile ground for the cultivation of the dynamically essential “self-image,”
Legitimate conversational interaction is beneficially productive of mental stimulation and personal growth the development of mature perception, and needed emotional release, balance, and the amelioration of informational error as well as constituting satisfying social exchange, The idealistic “Founding Fathers,” projected their idealism in their prediction that the citizens of the newly created Nation would, in a neighborly fashion, debate the issues of the day and that the ultimate conclusions would be of assistance in the formulation of policy by the new Nation, construed, “By and for the People,” Unfortunately, the latter expectation was never realized, by our hostility. divisive Nation,
The etiology and catalytic agency of the tragic decline in the salubrious and beneficial “Art of Conversation,” in our view, is attributable to the dysfunctional development and universal use of digital human interaction, viz,, the desirably facile but societally destructive, “smartphone,” We have railed against the adverse impact of its dystopian and ubiquitous replacement of natural, expressive person-to-person interaction. The increase in such facile, but, impersonal modes of interaction is proximately responsible for an observably empirical personal and societal decline.
To be clear, we have never been opposed to technological advancements; indeed we marvel at the ingenuity of Man in his creation of modern technology and the consequent improvement in lifestyle and modern capability. What we have continued to oppose is the debilitating impact of impersonal, mechanical interaction. We have written extensively on the multi-faceted, unhealthy individual and social impact of the elimination of humanistic and emotionally necessary personal interaction. Unfortunately. in the extant unthinking, consumer-populist lust for convenience we have transmogrified into a socially isolated society.
Rest in peace social conversation, we dearly miss you! Memorial Services are to be perennially conducted at the local offices of plinyblog.org.
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