Dialogue

Dialogue is conversation flowing between competing agendas. Silence is often very useful: what kind of silence do we have here? Peaceful, noisy, terrified, or angry silence that is too enraged to speak? The silence of love, understanding, or hatred. I have learnt to love silence and to let it speak for itself, even when it feels excruciating. I don’t fill-in spaces in conversations so much, I leave the air quiet unless I’v something to say (or I’ve been on the Primitivo 🙂 )And context is all: Britain is low context: people are brief, to the point, unlike a high context environment where explanations are more nuanced and take time to earn trust. Always keep your pulse on the powerful individuals, who might just be the quietest in the room. Dialogue with powerful leaders (mainly men) has occasionally been like pulling my own teeth out. But it’s taught me so much about how to challenge power, when anger can work. And when I need to shut up and listen.