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Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann, the influential phenomenological sociologists, have written that our sense of the universe in which we live is held together by conversation. When I say to an acquaintance whom I meet in the morning, \u201cNice day,\u201d I do not convey primarily meteorological information\u2014which would be redundant anyway, since he has the same data as I do\u2014but achieve a great variety of other unvoiced goals. For instance, by addressing him I recognize his existence, and express my willingness to be friendly. Second, I reaffirm one of the basic rules for interaction in our culture, which holds that talking about the weather is a safe way to establish contact between people. Finally, by emphasizing that the weather is \u201cnice\u201d I imply the shared value that \u201cniceness\u201d is a desirable attribute. So the offhand remark becomes a message that helps keep the content of my acquaintance\u2019s mind in its accustomed order. His answer \u201cYeah, it\u2019s great, isn\u2019t it?\u201d will help to keep order in mine. Without such constant restatements of the obvious, Berger and Luckmann claim, people would soon begin to have doubts about the reality of the world in which they live. The obvious phrases we exchange with each other, the trivial talk dribbling from radios and TV sets, reassure us that everything is all right, that the usual conditions of existence prevail<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pity is that so many conversations end right there. Yet when words are well chosen, well arranged, they generate gratifying experiences for the listener. It is not for utilitarian reasons alone that breadth of vocabulary and verbal fluency are among the most important qualifications for success as a business executive. Talking well enriches every interaction, and it is a skill that can be learned by everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n