Circular Conversation: Communication vs. Conversation and its Application to Self by Nicole Terry   If one has no concept of definition, how does one know what to say? They speak, so the art of conversation must be learnt somehow. Literacy is not necessary to communication. Communication, and the words used to communicate, is a learnt behavior, mimicry of what the ears hear displayed in a given set of circumstances, usually downloaded through the theatre of Family Interaction, or Situation Comedy and Drama featured through television programming. Essentially, the common masses are following unwritten scripts on the stage show of their everyday lives. Their everyday lives are often routine, so the same set of dialogue can be used multiple times (think the advent of "Buzz Phrases" and Clichés). I think this is the reason why conversation does not exist among the common herd. I have noticed numerous times the stagnant discussions: A speaks a line of dialogue to which B responds, but B does not actually respond, as a response involves a new thought based upon the information introduced by A. In communication (no accident the word "commune"-ication: the verb of common chatter), there are simply sound bytes spoken without any true reciprocation. No information is traded between A and B, as neither A nor B posses any, having no knowledge of definition; therefore, neither A nor B get anywhere. Their communication is one-dimensional, as neither seeks to understand the depth beneath any thought, in fact, no independent thoughts occur at all, creating a circular form of conversation. Example of Circular Conversation: A: Did you catch last night's game? B: Oh yeah! That was a good game. A: The score blew me away. Did you see that lay-up? B: Oh yeah! That was a good lay-up. A: It was a good game! B: Yeah, that was a good game last night. About the only thing that can be ascertained from this sample "conversation" is a game played the previous night, but the "conversation" went no farther than that. Communication among the Herd tends not to veer far from subjects memorized or learnt statistics, like Sports or television Situation Comedies, Soap Operas, etc. If one (presumably literate) were to interrupt the sample communication above with questions seeking to uncover any depth, one would quickly become confused. A and B lack the ability to answer questions with any independent thought. A response to the question, “What is a lay-up?” could be “It's a lay-up.” Having no idea of definition, A and B would be incapable of adequately describing a “lay-up” in such a manner comprehensible by any literate individual. I have often been labeled "weird" because I read Dictionaries. People consider it weird to want to learn proper definitions of words in order to better comprehend and better express oneself in the art of conversation? There is marked difference between Communication and Conversation. Communication is Learnt Group Behavior, (or in other words Herd Behavior), more precisely described as Babble, and Conversation is the trading of thoughts and ideas with another, resulting in progression of further thoughts and ideas. Communication expresses neither thought nor idea, merely talking to relieve silence. Conversation searches for deeper meaning to reach some perceived or conceived conclusion within the minds of the participants, like an Evolution. A member of the Herd has no idea of this search or progression, and would be incapable of participation, for it cannot search its memory-bank for a scripted dialogue. Conversation is not based on scripts, but upon individual experience, observation, abstraction, and thoughts founded upon that individual experience. Herd does not have experience rather it has myth. Herd communicates simply because it has been programmed as a social being, and will seek companionship rather than face the terror and anxiety of being alone. The institution of Society is founded upon this, and Social behavior is built on the institution (myth) of Society. The nationalistic views of the Common Herd are based on this installed terror of being alone. Communication, rather than Conversation, among the Herd is a means to perpetuate this notion of Society, as communication in the Group need not ever approach the deeper meaning of Living (or Self). When the Group is unable to provide answers to questions of Identity, the Identity (or Societal Role of Self) begins to conflict with the Group Self, the group member then seeks Psychotherapy in order to repair the severed connection to the Group Self (and Mind/Consciousness), or it seeks Religion to install a new Identity called Christian, Protestant, Episcopalian, etc. [Note: Does communication perpetuate a system of control, or does a controlled system oppress the mind that otherwise would be full of thoughts and ideas? I would speculate No, as the individual mind despite a controlled system would continue unbound.] Communication is a sense of Self to the Herd member, a way of expressing autonomy within the group, even though the Group Consciousness is the Ultimate Self. The member of the Group does not realize its "self" is merely a sense repeated a number of times, like the clone wearing a different color in order to proves its independence from the other Clones. Here is the program of Personality. These personal "self-expressions" must then be Communicated to the Group for approval. If approved (i.e. fashion, fads), the Group copies it, further solidifying Identity. The Herd member can only be comfortable as an Identity within the Group Self. In Conversation, there is no Group Self, only independent individuals comfortable with its own self, so Conversation requires no approval or demonstrates any conventions or restrictions upon anyone or anyone's position. Without Communication, Commerce could not exist. There could be no fashion, fads, or fanaticism to define Self. Through Conversation Self is expressed as an intelligent, thoughtful, willful, respectful, dignified Being, perfected through intrinsic experience; in Communication Self does not exist outside the Group Self programmed through extrinsic indoctrination, fundamentalism, and dogmas. Through Communication Identity is created; in Conversation Self is an abstraction. Conversation evolves Self, Communication sustains the pre-programmed image of the Group Self, the Self not as autonomous, but mechanical; a systemized Group factory of Self producing the next generation of Group Self. © Copyright 2008 Nicole Terry ALL RIGHTS RESERVED [back to Essays]  [more Writings]