People Talk...

People talk.

Every single second of every day, millions of us talk.

The world is alive with conversation. It buzzes with the energy of words across every corner of our planet, from hushed whispers to assertive shouts, from drunken slurs to hummed rhymes and everything in between. With all the languages, accents, sociolect and idiolect in the world, we talk.

The power and potential of language is truly limitless. It exceeds our wildest imagination. 

With words we teach, we learn, we share, we confide, we fight, we make-up, we express, we create, we explore, we imagine, we advise, we support, we debate, we challenge, we lead, we promise, we confess, we lie, we forgive, we fall in love, we live...

Without words, we would be nothing. And with them, we can be anything.

Our language provides each and every one of us with the golden opportunity to find our own way, to form our own path, to make our own mind up. And, even better, we are granted the freedom of expression to share our thoughts, opinions, experiences and individuality with the world. To stand up for what we believe in, to confide in those we love, to share with the world the beauty of our free thought.

And here lies the problem...

You see, people talk. And yet, we don't really say anything.

We use our words, we speak, and yet we only ever scratch the surface. We avoid any depth of conversation for fear of judgement or disapproval. We exchange pleasantries, but refuse to share any shred of personality. We ask how one is, and don't hang around long enough to hear the answer. We promise to speak properly soon, and immediately dismiss the thought. We hurry on through life, passing each other by with a mere nod of the head, denying ourselves the simple pleasure of a spontaneous heartfelt conversation.

It's so disheartening that too often we take for granted our freedom of expression and appreciation of our individuality, instead internalising our very personality in favour of robotic exchanges of speech.

Human interaction in public has evolved into a series of monotonous exchanges, that neither party has any real interest in, but we are obliged to keep up the charade as a matter of social etiquette. We say hello, ask how we are, maybe ask what we are doing if we can spare the extra 30 seconds in our busy schedule, insist how lovely it is to see each other, and promise to catch up again soon. And then in a flash, we are gone, pleased to have maintained the façade of taking an interest in other people's lives in order to appear caring and decent.

But since when did it become polite to pretend? To feign interest, to speak without talking, to communicate without listening? Since when has it become standard to meet a friend on the street and have nothing to say, but have no problem chatting online behind the safety of our computers? Since when do we deny ourselves the simple joy of meeting strangers, sparking up conversation and leaving having formed a new friendship?

As a society, we are destroying one of the most fundamental pleasures of our language - meaningful and insightful conversation.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology, and there are times when they provide the possibility for conversation that wouldn't normally be possible, for example at long distance. But outside of these scenarios, we often rely on the lazy tactic of talking through technology. It means little effort, and practically no personal connection. But in doing so, we are neglecting our ability to interact in public. And so, I've reached the point where I have to say something. I'm tired of this foolishness. I'm tired of people taking the easiest and most accepted route, because it's not standard social behaviour to do otherwise.

Why shouldn't we be able to express our thoughts and personality on a regular basis, without worrying that it's not a standard social convention? Why do we feel pressured to internalise our emotions and maintain this air of indifference, instead of stepping outside the box, sharing ourselves and growing as individuals?

It seems to me that the only time we truly allow ourselves to speak our minds is when we are either drunk, in the presence of our most trusted companions, or hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. And I'm just as guilty of that as everybody else. Maybe because when you're not as worried about being judged, either due to alcohol or familiarity or anonymity, that concern over acting a certain way is relieved. We are stripped of the pressure and cajoling to act and speak in a way that suppresses our individuality. We are flooded with the confidence and freedom to be ourselves, and that bursts from us like a firework.

Although, to be fair, there are some people in our lives that you could say anything to. Each of us has someone who knows everything about you and who you could tell anything to. Maybe a best friend, maybe a family member, whomever. And that relationship should be treasured like no other, because the ability to share your all with someone should never be for granted.

And alternatively, many of us will have one person in our lives that we could spend the whole day talking to, having meaningless conversation about trivial subjects, and it still mean something to them. People that you're so close and comfortable with, you could find yourself engrossed in a conversation about the most random of topics, and love it. I'm not condoning that. In fact personally, I love that!

I guess my point is that I strive to live in a society where there is less pressure to hide our very selves to anyone, for fear of appearing weak or vulnerable or stupid or being judged. It would be nice to be able to stop and talk to a stranger in the street and have that actually mean something. It would be nice to be able to bare our soul to those we care about, flaws and all, without worrying about what they will think of you. Instead of sticking to the safe, mundane, boring topics, let's add a little life to our conversation!
And I've found the perfect little photo [above] to exemplify this.

Maybe it's just me. If I'm wrong, if I'm jumping to conclusions or over-reacting, then feel free to tell me and I'll happily hear your opinions otherwise. In fact, I welcome the opportunity for an exchange of ideas. It's yet another advantage of free speech, and one I will continue to appreciate...

Thanks for reading, over and out!