A personal form of social media

Online social media have sprung up and become widely used just in the past few years.  With good reasons, among which are keeping in touch with our friends and acquaintances, finding people who featured in our past and alerting – or being alerted – about events and items of mutual interest.

And yet have you felt that there is a lack of depth in this kind of connecting? For who would express their vulnerability on Facebook? Who listens carefully to what others are saying in twitter?

Could it be that, useful as they are, over reliance on using online social media is a distraction? If so the question is, from what?

Among possibilities:

From the deeper relating which make a difference to the quality of our lives through this leading to greater understanding of what it means to be human and of what happens when we treat each other well.

From the kind of conversations in which people make time to relate through expressing interest in one another. From the careful listening which underpins such interest. From being genuinely curious about other people and the how they make sense of life.

This Conversare format is designed precisely for these to happen. For it makes possible the opportunity for people who do not know each other, or at least not well, to engage in lively conversation. In contexts in which nothing is asked of those present except that they give of themselves in ‘the moment.’

On the premise that each particular exchange is a ‘one off’ event and it may well be that you may not ever again meet the person with whom you conversed.

Why participate in such get togethers?

Put another way, whenever I mention to people, in person, what a Conversare gathering is they invariably respond, “What a good idea!”

What could be reasons for this?

And what do you reckon could be contexts in which such gatherings take place?

In regard to the locations, the kind of venues which would be appropriate. And to the  kind of gatherings in which this format would lend itself nicely.

Could your ability to engage ever more confidently with people you encounter make a difference to your life?

Alan Stewart
Adelaide

“Moving toward others is a very different process than moving away from them.”
Kurt Lewin, 1951