Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-07
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Neither usurps the conversation, but
feels sure that what he has to say ID
worth while saying, and worth while
being listened to.
The thing works both ways.
He who is a good listener Is more
than he who listens politely.
Good listening implies that the man
has respect for you, whereas poor listen
Ing shows plainly that the listener (such
contempt.
Talk cannot interest, unless both are
interested in what they are talking
about. So, for the best conversation,
both parties must have wide interests,
as there Is no telling what the other
may have to say.
To be an interesting talker. there
lore. one must be interested In every
thing.
The man or woman whose interests
are narrow, and who never goes out
SIDE them, even in thought, reading or
talking, cannot be an interesting con-
verSationalist except upon his or her
speciality.
To be interested in many things Is
sign of an inquiring mind. Such a
mentality will find nothing too small
or large for interests sake, so long as
IL has aspects Of color, glamour, or
Whatever one chooses to call those
points which intrigue the human mind,
heart and spirit.
On the other hand, one cannot be
interested in anything about which he
mas never had a thought himself. He
must nave made mental contact, in
some way or other, for the thing to
yieid TO him even small part Of its
fascination.
Nothing will prove interesting. in
other words, which does not touch ones
own personality at some point. The
oaliy work. however, Is merely q part
OF ones life and contains only some
but not ALL OF these points.
Ihat Is why there Is nothing more
tlresome in some ways, than the shop
talk which goes ON so persistently
among some people, 1t does not so
much show interest in their jobs as
lack OF interest in all the rest of the
wonderful pageant Of life.
Good conversation. like good adyer-
ISL g..I makes an impression, whether
One may not realize it at the time
but later he will recall a thought. a
sentence, an idea which the other has
given him.
Thus good ideas are never wasted
but crop out in the minds and lives
OF all OF us, sooner or later, to bolster
an argument or merely to add to the
Joy Of living.
We never yet have INDUCED in a talk
which we could consider time wasted
any more than we have ever read any,
thing which we could honestly call
time Ill spent. Even the most trifling
conversation yields something.
Again We say good talk need not
necessarily instruct. The yield Of good
conversation may be q thought which
brtghtenS the mind by ways which are
no one else's business It may be a
curious felicity which you have never
heard. 1t may even be pun. It may
be q new word.
It does something to the mind. Now
this something" may be small or
large, 1t makes no difference, the main
thing is the impression It makes.
The mind Is q wax, waiting for i'm
pressions, which 1t will take in, Of one
sort or another, whether one desires II
to or not. The thing to do Is to see
that these impressions are interesting
and worth while In the best senses.
Conversation Is the school of the mind
in later years and We should attend
good schools, n possible, and see to it
that We are good pupils. Respect for
the other fellow Is being q good pupil
When both parties to a conversation
are such, talk becomes what good talk
always has been, a perennial delight, a
source Of interest and q stimulus to
the mind.