The development of any community is profoundly affected by quality of relationships between its members. Positive change is highly dependent on establishing a constructive way of relating in which everyone feels accepted, valued and understood.
While the creation of such an interpersonal environment is not as easy as it sounds, experience suggests that it can be greatly encouraged if those involved learn how to ‘converse’ – finding the freedom to speak to each other in an open and honest way, devoid of judgement and characterised by attentive, respectful, empathic listening.
‘Conversation’ at its best may be described as…
- a verbal exploration of ideas, beliefs, values and meanings…
- a meeting of hearts and minds where personal truth is shared and exchanged…
- a place of safety where whatever is considered important may be explored and challenged without fear or regret…
- a dynamic exchange where hopes and dreams are allowed to play…
- an unrehearsed intellectual adventure…
- an interpersonal journey undertaken by friends who are prepared to be changed by what they may subsequently discover.
“A satisfying conversation is one, which makes one say what one has never said before. For talk should be a shared experience, with participants bonded in the joy of an enterprise. We can emerge from such with new perspectives…and actions, or activity, can follow.”
Theodore Zeldin