David Bohm on Dialogue and Communication

1. If the meaning of communication is

2. to convey information or knowledge

3. from one person to another,

4. then the essence of communication is

5. 'to make something common'

6. Dialogue as a special kind of communication,

7. is to 'make something IN common'

8. Or 'creating something new together'

9. But in most cases there is a HUGE problem

10. in the exchange of meaning between people.

11. Meanings are similar but not identical.

12. Which can be a real problem if people get to focus

13. on just their own meaning.

14. But if done right, it can also lead to something new.

15. Observing the differences

16. you might see something new

17. that is relevant to both views.

18. Go back and forth with the continual emergence

19. of new content that is common to both participants.

20. Each has to be interested primarily

21. in truth and coherence,

22. and be ready to drop old ideas and intentions.