Recovering Dialog
2009 November 4
This belongs in ‘dialog’ with the last post – a vision from NP about a better way to be human: listening.
- Discussion comes from a fixed position. Dialog suspends its position.
- Discussion exchanges opinions. Dialog discovers new ideas.
- Discussion is in favor of its own view. Dialog is open to the view of the other.
- Discussion attempts to convert the other. Dialog listens to the other.
- Discussion produces agreement, compromise or division. Dialog creates a new place.
- Discussion can become more rigid. Dialog softens and opens.
- Discussion can become confrontational. Dialog is sympathetic.
- Discussion has non-negotiables. For dialog, everything is negotiable.
- Discussion will not produce deep change. Dialog invites it.
- Discussion does not require a spirit of goodwill. Dialog assumes unity.
I would like to discourse about the necessity to distinguish between such, as it would seem, synonyms.
Yes – not a literal difference in the words themselves, but as handles on different ideas it makes some sense I hope.
Perhaps the distinction is well noted when considering the etymology of the words. “Discussion” derives from the Middle English meaning a judicial examination and the Latin meaning to investigate. ‘Dialog’ on the other hand would necessitate “two words,” or perhaps two voices.