Are you conversing?

 Are you conversing ?

What a question to ask, you would say. Of course, I do. I chat with my family, friends, colleagues; we swap news,  we go out on weekends, we even make small talk sometimes. When was the last time you had a real conversation? 

For Socrates, a conversation is where one person starts a topic and the other person takes it further by asking questions, reflecting, and then asking them the premise of their statement. Is it based on facts or assumptions? In doing so, both of them gain insight into the topic . One from an external perspective and the other from thinking about it. Sounds too complicated?

See, when we listen to someone say something, we also think about how to pursue that topic. The Socratic method implies various stages of dialogue, i.e., receive, reflect, clarify, probing underlying assumptions, asking for the evidence to support their viewpoint, and finally encouraging them to consider different perspectives. 

This method is not to win an argument but to encourage critical thinking and self-reflection. Both people engaging in this conversation learn to think and separate facts from prejudice. 

Actively listening is a very important part of the process. Only then can you paraphrase their statement. By doing so, you show that you are engaged. After this, you can ask focused questions like, “What do you mean by it?” or “Can you give an example?” Next, you can ask, “What makes you think so?” It brings the stage of whether their statement is based on facts or not. In doing so, you have made them think and reflect on their opinion. 

Most of us fail to do this. Believe me, this method can be applied anywhere: our personal life, business deals, diplomacy, and teaching. So next time you converse, keep Socratic dialogue in mind. It will change the way you talk. 

So be it !!!