2003-03-27

 
My Method of Talk.
I like to talk; I don't like people who listen. Granted I may talk interminably, I enjoy conversation, exchange, dialogue. When people say I talk too much, or too fast, they misunderstand me... I will speak my mind as thoughts arrive. I have also been criticized for cutting people off, as if I should feel rude. I wish others would cut me off whenever they had something to respond to. Otherwise, I would talk forever. The other option, only speaking when appropriate & concise, narrows my opportunities to interact with people. And I speak quickly because I want to cover as much ground as possible, rather than limit a conversation. When people hold things back, or sit and wait until a person seems to be finished, or just submit to the talk of the other person by listening, conversations become one-way and superfluous. The main function of talk should be to test ideas, see what others think and know. That way we can refine our own thinking and in the future communicate more concisely. This is precisely what experience is composed of. Forcing someone to behave as if they were experienced with an idea (by seeking brevity) is eschewing truth, falsifying interaction, an unintended costume. And keeping silent throughout someone's experimental ramblings is to allow one's ideas to seem to pass when they might merit correction.
posted by MM 4:49 PM