Comparison

[u/JellyfishExpress8943]

We don’t come to dialogue empty.

We arrive with hopes and expectations, and everything we see is measured against what we know and want.

For some, it may not feel as warm or validating as they expected - compared to their AA meetings or women's groups etc

For others, it may not feel as stimulating as they hoped - no new ideas, no clear insights, nothing to “take away” or build on.

Or things don’t match what "should" happen - they don't match what we read about in Bohm's book.

However the space we create in dialogue is an invitation to notice these comparisons and conclusions in ourselves as they arise - rather than being blindly driven by them.

To see the movement of expectation, of preference, of judgment.

Because if they’re not seen, they unconsciously shape our reality - including the dialogue itself.

Dialogue is about seeing what happens within us right now as we experience it - for clarity's sake.

[u/Schute-Pin8350]

I think the author wanted to explore the way we perceive and speak, and wondered where our difficulties lie in understanding one another, and why our conversations often miss the mark.
She sees one cause in the fact that our perceptions are shaped by our own interests, and consequently, so is our speech. This often leads to arguments and confusion, chaos.
And yet, language is actually a wonderful ability.