Thoughts, like sights and sounds, arise without effort. But, unlike our other senses, they appear as abstract what if’s contained within us. We  have as little control over the thoughts that enter our consciousness, as we do over the people who knock on our door. Only, once they have arrived, do we have a choice of how to entertain them.

Conversation is a tool for sharing these abstract sensations with others. When we listen intently, we become guests in the sitting rooms of other people’s minds, and in a small way experience each other’s version of consciousness. Through conversation we can check our abstract reality against the abstract realities of others, ensuring we move forward as a whole. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking.