Conversation

Joseph Stalin and Maxim Gorky in conversation (1931).

A conversation is two or more people talking about something. It is spontaneous, usually unplanned, though the people may have interests in common.

Conversations are one of the basic types of human communication. They can be about any subject, and do not necessarily have any fixed purpose. They allow people with different views of a topic to learn from each other. A conversation may be contrasted with formal presentations. A talk or speech, for example is an oral presentation by one person directed at a group. It is basically a one-way communication.

Conversations do not have to happen in person, they can happen over the telephone or on the Internet.

Banter

Banter is short witty sentences that bounce back and forth between individuals. Often banter uses clever put-downs and witty insults. It can contain misunderstandings (often intentional), zippy wisecracks, zingers, flirtation, and puns. The idea is each line of banter should "top" the one before it. It is a verbal war of wit without any physical contact.

Related pages

• Conversation analysis
• Consensus
• Intensity of preference

Other websites

• Advice Archived 2009-09-08 at the Wayback Machine on initiating conversations and links to conversational organizations Archived 2009-10-10 at the Wayback Machine
• Article on developing basic communication skills Archived 2008-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
• Conversation Cafè, devoted to creating a "culture of conversation."
• Empathic listening skills
• Lifehack howto on Small Talk Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine
• "The art of conversation", Economist, 19th December 2006