motortion

Although one of our most common activities, we often take conversation for granted and don't give it enough attention. As philosophers from Socrates to Erasmus to Dryden to Ben Johnson quoted, "Speak that I may know you." Our friends, rivals, and associates all judge us mainly by our conversation and it either rises us up or throws us down. In this regard, discretion becomes more important than eloquence. At best and most appropriate, we adapt our words to the minds, feelings, and temperaments of others. With close friends, many prefer spontaneous, casual and ill-considered words. In more substantial circles however, conversation reveals substance and significantly determines outcomes.