It is one of the most shuddering and tedious of social niceties – small talk. That persistent cycle of banality that encompasses “talk” often on weather, congestion and superficial interest in one’s personal life when really, many are simply waiting for that delicious caffeine fix. Who knows what everyone at the cue is pondering but there appears to be a normalisation of being insular that makes us increasingly appear disinterested and what was once innate, our curiosity, has become stagnate. There is never a time when we suddenly know everything, nor should we hope that we stop being curious. In terms of social structure and its many facets language, according to Anthony Giddens, is a vital resource that helps manage the ongoing flow of social life. With that, we must consider the art of conversation and its workings on helping us enhance the mind; not by simply knowing but understanding and acknowledging the diversity of society that we call home.
Dare yourself to go beyond the usual phenomenon of weather and the assumptions of a hospitality worker’s late-night habits when you observe a yawn. For just a moment or two put your phone down – why bother messaging one human being whose slow to respond to messages when there’s another human being who is standing right in front of you? If the latter is the one making the best cappuccino or soy latte then I think they deserve a little conversation; sorry Elvis, a little more conversation would be nice occasionally. If we could find the initiative to enquire and not assume how one thinks, based on the stereotypes we continually hold dear then we may experience a renaissance of the mind. You may be surprised to find there are people who know and read Nietzsche, who can help answer the question why some don’t automatically gravitate to Shakespeare, that there may be a logical argument to supporting Donald Trump, that Monarchists populate the younger generation, that not all women are Feminists or that a stance against immigration goes beyond racial rhetoric.
But many of us shy away from such engagement because we become fixed on set notions of society or choosing to direct our attention to the smaller things that don’t stimulate our intellects. Comedian Bill Maher beautifully paraphrased Noam Chomsky and his observations on human interests – “we’re not stupid, we just apply our brain power to bullshit!” Why stop at Baristas? Why not include cashiers, waiters and waitresses, Uber drivers (or cab drivers if people still take taxis) these are people who are significant contributors to the running of society, but we inherently see them as mechanical entities.
Once we open our own minds up at the possibility that the people who work in the service industry are buzzing with unique ideas of the world then there will be no stopping society in the pursuit of reclaiming not only conversation, but our intellectual sanity.
