A thoughtful, meaningful conversation is remarkably fulfilling. What are the traits that contribute to a great verbal exchange?
In some ways, we evolved in order to communicate. Our voice is capable of an incredible range of sounds that we have turned into speech. Our brains then became larger so that we could store our spoken, and then eventually written, languages.
In addition, living in groups no doubt made our ancestors safer and more effective in tasks. Coordinating members of the group would have been necessary for success in hunting and gathering. A spoken language also meant knowledge could be passed not only between individuals, but from generation to generation as well.
So speech is central to the very nature of who we are as a species. It is no wonder, then, why conversation is so enjoyable. A good conversation between individuals or within a group is unlike anything else in our experience. It can be funny, thought-provoking, and even challenging, and can make time seem to fly by in an instant.
In fact, it is so important that you sometimes hear it discussed in ways you don’t expect. An artist, for instance, might describe the art they produce as a conversation with the viewer. Theater actors or comedians have been known to talk about carrying on a conversation with their audience.
What makes a conversation good? And what separates a good one from a great one? What are the things that the very best conversationalists do to be successful? How does it seem to flow, seemingly effortlessly, from one speaker to the next? What do you do to try and engage with someone else?
Related questions: How can we encourage meaningful conversation? Is there a conversation you’ll never forget? How can we become better listeners? What makes a good question?