Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-07

There are as many sorts of talker,
IS there are men. The fine old art O.
conversation, although sometimes sale
to be in eclipse, Is very much alive
after all.
Where two get together usually Their,
Is some talk. 1t may not be of the
grand variety, in fact may be essen.
TALLY trivial, but If it does two thing.
1t yet deserves the title Of conversation
1t must entertain and 1t must make
an impression. 1t must interest and II
must do something to the mind. Notice
that we do not say 1t must instruct.
Much essentially foolish chatter YET
manages to be interesting and at the
same time leaves a deposit. as 1t were
on the mental fabrics Of the receiver
Conversation which consists largely
Of "Oh, yeah?" and similar phrases
cannot be said to achieve either OF
If they happen to be interesting tc
the participants 1t is solely because the
two happen to be interested in each
other.
True conversations, on the other
tongue, demand qualities Of give and
take which not every human being
possesses.
The man who tacitly assumes In a
conversation that the other party can
not tell him anything Is making the
thing monologue.
Perhaps nothing disrupts converse
mon. II you enter into talk with this
person you find that you do not have
to work very hard at 1t.
All you have to do is to sit quietly,
smile at the right point and say yes
and mo" as required.
Under the stimulation OF this small
applause the one-way traffic continues
uninterruptedly, with never a hesita-
ton or waver.
II you attempt to put in a remark
every now and then. perhaps being a
believer yourself In the theory OF give
and take as applied to conversation,
your remarks will be received politely
enough, of course.
So politely, in fact, that you begin
to regret having voiced them at all.
Just as Alexander Pope accused the
great Sir Joseph Addison Of 'damning
with faint praise" so this one damns
with a faint phrase Of assent.
Or he may say nothing at all. as
Stunning that bored air which says. as
plainly as words, We'll. I suppose I
must listen to this, but the moment
you stop, shall begin again"
y
Then there Is the person who monop-
olizes the conversation entirely. He
does not permit you to get in word
edgewiSe. He runs on, like Tennyson'S
very famous brook, as If believing that
only his views are interesting.
They are interesting Of course-to
him. They must be, otherwise he would
not reveal so many Of them. The curl
GUS fact about this type OF talker is
that seldom Is his conversation In the
least interesting.
from all sorts Of persons and places.
One knows instinctively what his views
will be on any given subject.
A conversation, with him. Is merely
a matter Of pressing so many talkie
buttons, whereupon he responds finely,
profusely, word without end.
1t Is amazing how easily 1t Is to fore
cast his thoughts on any subject In
advance. And 1t Is disconcerting how
difficult 1t Is to take exception to them
Perhaps that is no wonder however.
for they are the ideas, at second hand
of thousand better men than himself
who when they said them meant them
Under original conditions, those
thoughts were good. but from the
mouth Of another, well, not so great.
The good conversation Is the one in
which both parties are willing to be-
lieve that the other has something
worth while listening to, and interest
ing to hear