All Talk

Elvis Presley asked for 'A little less conversation a little more action please'. Well, despite his polite manner I'm going to have to disagree.

The leftie hippy types that are running rampant through our culture and it's airways are constantly banging on about how these days no-one talks to one another.  The world is jam-packed with lonely drones drifting through life on a raft of individualism with no care for the stranger next door and, apparently, it's bad for us.

So this week as we seek to find out how much is really enough we turn to conversation and the hypothesis that there is simply not enough of it.  Some of you have no problem with rambling on at great length about anything at all or nothing in particular. But talking and conversation are not perfectly interchangeable concepts.

So in order to get a little more conversation into your world how about you join me in talking up the 4C's Challenge (patent pending). Having four conversations with people in four different categories over the space of a week.

The categories are as follows:

The Stranger - someone who's name you don't know and who you have never spoken to before.
The Casual Acquaintance - you know their name and say hello but have never shared a conversation.
The Old Friend - You used to be so close but have drifted, now you haven't seen them in ages
The Opponent - someone you have never clicked with, you rub each other up the wrong way or you have had a falling out.

So what classifies as a conversation? Well in my book a conversation involves the exchange of stories or information by both parties about themselves which would not normally be exchanged in a passing comment.

Let me give you some examples of what would not, therefore, pass as a conversation.

A: That's some rain isn't it?
B: Desperate altogether.

---------

A:  Do you need a bag?
B:  Em...  no, I'm alright.

----------

A:  Hi, my name is Brian and I'm calling to tell you about some great offers available to you as a valued customer,
B:  Sorry, I'm not in.

-----------

A:  Hi there darling, can I buy you a drink?
B:  I'd rather have the money thanks.


So are you conversing enough? Are you up for a chat? Could you manage just four extra conversations in your week?  Join in via the comments section or on twitter using #enough2014