The best way to solve problems and to fight against war is through dialogue. – Malala Yousafzai
Social media. Texting. E-mail. Even snail mail and old-fashioned phone calls. Humans on the planet today have more (and faster) means to communicate with each other than any previous generation, yet we have never been more disconnected from each other. We know more about our friendsâ and familiesâ lives and beliefs than we did a decade ago, but we donât understand each other any more fully. We make contact, but we donât connect.
The lack of true dialogue in our personal, professional, and social discourse is a symptom of the growing tensions in our society and a source, one could argue, of the rancor and polarization of our political discourse. Dialogue doesnât mean listening passively while the other person speaks, nor does it involve back-and-forth debate until one person can be declared âthe winner.â Dialogue involves two people sharing their ideas who share the hope that talking about the issue could bring about a solution, a better way.
Mark Twain said, âLet us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation.â Our comment-thread culture has us believing that every point requires a counterpoint, that expressing oneâs ideas can be routine fodder for ridicule and hostility. Perhaps we donât need to stop communicating with each other entirely, but maybe we could transform our discussions into dialogue, turn our contacts into connections.
In this weekâs Partnership Principles video clip, Jim Knight examines the great thinkers in the area of dialogue to underscore the importance of conversation in all of our interactions. If we want real change in education or in anything else, we need to change the conversation.
