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A good conversationalist is popular anywhere, so conversation is an
art worth studying. Notice what makes other people’s conversation
attractive or unattractive.
Practice saying
only things which are interesting to others. It is bad taste in society
to talk vainly about one’s self or one’s family. There are many interesting
and fascinating subjects of conversation in these days-world issues,
social problems, literature, art, music, psychology, education, science,
sports, hobbies or any special interest one has in common with others.
Nothing reveals more quickly the kind of person you re than the things
you talk about.
It is not
good manners to speak of one’s own country
as if it
were more important or betterthan others. But neither is it good to
speak badly of one’s country or call it “unworthy”.
Western manners do not require
one to say anything that is untrue, but it is best to avoid being
too frank about things which would make people feel uneasy-unless
by doing so you feel some good might cone of it. Speak naturally but
not boastfully of the good things inyour own country, and speak appreciatively
of what you can imbued
with in the foreign country. |
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Practice