Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
3th August 2018
Conversation (1)
“Reaction and Response”
Conversation happens in every situation. In any conversation there is either a reaction or a response to the conversation in the form of a reply. A reaction in a conversation is a reply that implies disagreement. A response in a conversation is a reply that confirms agreement.
Human beings are convinced that they can give a reply in a conversation to any issue in any situation. The reply is given instantly in daily conversation, because daily conversation does not require any time to think about the reply.
Humans are convinced that they can reply in any type of conversation. They are convinced that a reply, which is either a reaction or a response, is dependent on how much knowledge you have of any issue in conversation.
A reply is forthcoming instantly in any conversation and every instant reply is met with a response or reaction from the other. It is a tit-for-tat scenario in any type of conversation. Reaction and response in conversation is like a ping pong game - a to-and-fro social etiquette.
Conversation in which the reply and response in any situation and circumstance are agreed, leads to calmness in any situation and circumstance. The calmness is, however, temporary until the conversation is agreed.
When the reply and response in conversation in any situation and circumstance are disagreed, the calmness is absent and replaced by resentment and regret in the particular situation and circumstance.
Any conversation is based upon the content and context being either right or wrong. When the conversation is right to one and not right to the other, the conversation is in agreement to the one who believes it is right and it is in disagreement to the one who believes it to be wrong.
The belief of what is right is dependent on knowledge. Similarly, the belief of what is wrong is dependent on knowledge as well. Every human believes that he has obtained knowledge by effort and education.
But what every human being needs to understand is that he has knowledge that he is meant to have and that he has not put any effort into having the knowledge that he has.
It only appears that humans have put effort into obtaining knowledge. This is because knowledge has evolved in humans since primitive man and primitive man did not have knowledge.
Therefore, the conversation in which the reply and response are right indicates the knowledge that has evolved in him or her. Similarly, the conversation in which the reply and response are wrong indicates the knowledge that has evolved in him or her.
The ping pong of every conversation goes on unabated, until wisdom of conversation evolves in humans.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
Man would feel adrift with daily life were he or she not to engage in regular conversation. It is the sine qua non for sharing, exchanging, defending or manipulating ideas. What a gift of the intelligence of life, albeit an illusory gift between two or more illusory minds on a topic that is itself illusory!The wise understand this illusion and its evolutionary flow. Understanding this is transformative. Thank you, Dr. Shankar.
Julian Capper, UK.
German Translator’s Note:
Words in a conversation symbolically touch the other, corresponding to the touch of the body through the hands. A proverb is: Words are touching. Therefore, conversation has such a great significance in human life. Dr. Shankar's article provides the opportunity for true human closeness if understanding of our everyday conversations happens.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.