Conversation sharpens the saw It is not a waste of time.

LetвЂ™s have more interesting conversations It's our job.

Hard conversation Conversation is anything but soft and wooly.

Thinking together Talking with each other beats talking to ourselves.

Connecting Minds Connecting and synchronising minds.

Our brains are designed for conversation That is why we find conversation so easy.

The Myth of Thamus and Theuth Does writing allow the pretense of understanding, rather than true understanding?.

Our most powerful technology is conversation Conversation - an overlooked human technology.

Cognitive Diversity ** Seeing and processing the world differently.

Friends with Cognitive Benefits Engaging in short friendly conversations improves people's thinking.

Conversation is more than communication Conversation shapes our lives.

Conversation covenant Creating a psychologically safer space for impossible conversations.

The purposes of conversation Real conversation serves one or more purposes.

Conversational capacities Prerequisites to a good conversation.

Freedom of Speech Freedom of speech is not just another value.

Real Conversation There is more to conversation than just talking or exchanging messages.

Introduction: The Power of Conversation A powerful, adaptable human technology.

Blog Post: Creating understanding вЂ“ finding shared meaning by Ken Homer.

Blog Post: Shared Meaning by Mel Schwartz.

Shared meaning does not mean that people see things the same way but that they understand each otherвЂ™s perspectives well enough to accept them.

There is only one way of achieving this, and thatвЂ™s through real conversation. Shared meaning does not mean that people agree but that they understand each otherвЂ™s perspectives well enough to accept them. Shared meaning occurs when people understand each otherвЂ™s perspectives well enough to accept them as legitimate in the context of exploring and realizing a desired future. Shared meaning means each stakeholder in the conversation shares what is meaningful to them as it pertains to creating the desired future those in the conversation are seeking to create. Shared meaning does not mean that everyone in the conversation sees things in the same way.

To achieve shared meaning, we do not have to agree with each other as long as we have understood each otherвЂ™s views on an issue. It also means that weВ have a similarВ understanding of the concepts we talk about.

Shared meaning means that the words we use mean the same to each of us or that we understand how each of us uses words differently and take that into account in our conversations.В At a deeper level, it means that we understand the different values, beliefs, and emotions that we each give to and associate with words. So first, shared meaning is about the words and the concepts themselves. Moreover, in a multicultural world where we are talking across cultures and often in English where English is not the native tongue of all speakers, it is not too surprising that we fail to communicate. The interpretation of many of these words and phrases is also contextually dependent. Whenever we have a conversation with someone, we express opinions and perspectives on the world and use many words, phrases, idioms, and metaphors that have unclear or ambiguous meanings. Language only represents thoughts, beliefs and experiences, and should not be taken as a literal and objective fact. How can we discuss or argue the virtues of something when we are speaking differing languages? вЂ¦ I have observed that upon deeper scrutiny, the words, let alone the concepts, tend not to be received in the way the messenger anticipates. This is a particularly misinformed assumption. We take for granted that our words convey exactly what we intend them to. There are two dimensions to the concept of shared meaning. What is shared meaning? The phrase is bandied about a lot but little understood and rarely defined. Change the Conversation, Change the Culture

Define share