Notes on the Session: 1

In our last session thoughts where flying from every imaginable area. Within the first twenty minutes our ladies had discussed everything from the state of the feminist movement (and men’s involvement with it), right through to the difference between men’s and women’s toilet etiquette.

This shift in conversation got me thinking about how rapid conversation can be, and how much our brains process and choose to keep or loose. I wonder if I hadn't been making notes (knowing I needed to write something) how much of this week session would I have remembered, or, if I'd been less subjective about the chat, how much would have resonated with me?

So this week we where graced with the presence of Leeds Met University lecturer in Performance, Teresa Brayshaw. This was Teresa’s second visit to the Art of Conversation, having been a guest talker last year too.

Naturally, being interested in performance herself, Teresa helped us to discover and discuss the ‘liveness’ of conversation, and how the smallest things can influence how we talk. For example a spontaneous phone call can interrupt a line of though or the reaction of a person you are talking influences the way you may respond.

One of the main interesting points to come out of this was the question of ‘speaking Vs conversing’. Who has the power in every form of conversing? Is it equally shared, or is it one sided? Then, following this, do we all feel a responsibility when we are talking to make sure what we say is relevant and interesting? Abraham Lincoln said "It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt"? In what situations do we agree with this, and in what scenarios will we truly express exactly what we think?

This led us to discussing the performative nature of a listener, an audience member, or an eves-dropper. The way we listen to people in public places and how much we can find out about strangers lives when they think no-one is listening (weather we want to hear it or not).  We discussed the way proximity to a speaker has an effect on the way we listen and how comfortable we feel. It was nice to discover that It’s not just me who has an “I’m not listening to you… but I’m really hanging on your every word” stance and demeanour we portray in public places when eves-dropping.

The thought’s that the week’s session have left me with are;

Is it really "better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt"?

How many people are actually listening to me at any point when I’m talking? And should I be censoring what I say because there are people listening who I haven’t intended to hear me?

…and

Which is worse, being asked to talk, or being asked to ‘shut up’?