An Approach to Conversation

It's easy to be selfish in conversation. "Will this person shut up already so I can say what I want to say?"

This is not a way to have meaningful conversation. People are not as stupid as we think; they can see through our disinterest. Here are a few thoughts on what I try to cultivate in myself when talking with people:

I often remind myself that (most likely) I know very little about this person's viewpoint on the particular topic of conversation. Not only is it good to foster curiosity about how they see things so I can get to know them better, but I will look pretty foolish if I jump to conclusions and don't hear them out (this goes for most things -- be it confrontation, preferences, or otherwise).

My general rule of thumb is I want the other person to leave the conversation thinking, "wow, I like talking to Konur!" Even if we disagree on a subject, there's no reason the conversation can't be an enjoyable one. If the other person has a good impression about me when we leave the conversation, they will want to talk to me more in the future -- and more importantly trust will be built.

Trust is the bedrock upon which (possibly all?) meaningful interaction stems from. As such, this means that learning how to communicate in this way is one of the most vital skills one can learn.