Of meeting of verses

 

 

 

THIS word has its own fascination! And it offers countless possibilities of interpretation. “Conversation”, actually, is one word that has defined human progress in the most profound manner. Whatever the word indicates, in reality, forms the core of human togetherness. The human community holds itself together -- through thick and thin, through light and darkness, through rough and tumble of life and its uncertainties and impossibilities and improbabilities and implausibilities -- only because it has known the method of conversation and its virtue and value.

 

 

That is the reason why wise people often insist upon conversation. They look forward to conversation at all times. For, in simple words, they know that whatever good that can be achieved will be through conversation. So, each society must have its internal conversation going on all the time, wise men say. But what does that mean in actual terms? -- one may ask. And answer to this question is far more difficult than one can comprehend easily. Most unfortunately, in our homes and schools and institutions of learning, the meaning of “conversation” is never explained to youngsters or learners properly. Usually, we understand “conversation” as exchange between persons. I say something, to which you respond, to which I respond, to which you again respond ... ! In the nutshell, that is what we know by “conversation”. This is only the description of the physical process that may be denoted by “conversation”.

 

There are many deeper dimensions to the word, however. Linguistically, “conversation” stems from “converse”. This word -- converse -- can be split into two parts, ‘con’ and ‘verse’: ‘Con’ suggests many shades of meaning -- for example confluence, convergence, concurrence ... ! (Of course, one shade may even suggest contradiction. This is also welcome in a conversation.) The other part is ‘verse’ -- poem, statement, idea, proposition ... ! This is where we reach the crux of the meaning of “conversation”: I have a verse. You have a verse. My verse and your verse. Their convergence is conversation. The idea is simple -- “conversation” means meeting of verses.

 

The underlining idea is of respect for the other. I respect you, you respect me. Your idea is as important as mine -- for our confabulation (talking together). That is how human race has progressed in togetherness -- through labyrinthine time, since time immemorial. There is no suggestion here that “conversation” should have no disagreement. The core meaning is that even when we disagree, we have a right to state our respective verses and seek recognition for those -- without being cantankerous, without contradicting others just for the sake of argument. “Conversation”, thus, is the core value and virtue of a truly civil society, a true impetus to the sense of togetherness regardless of difference of verses.