I recently read a post by Ted Gioia, who writes about books, music and culture, in which he makes the observation that our society has moved from being a "scripted" culture to a more conversation-based one. Whereas in the past we had pundits giving lectures, today we have pundits in podcasts sitting around, having coffee and engaging in conversation. Gioia says:
Western culture was built on one-way communication. Leaders and experts speak—and the rest of us listen.
In the aftermath of the election, the new wisdom is that giving speeches from a teleprompter doesn’t work in today’s culture. Citizens want their leaders to sit down and talk.
And not just in politics. You may have seen the same thing in your workplace—or in classrooms and other group settings. People now resist one-way orders from the top.
The word “scripted” is now an insult. Plainspoken dialogue is considered more trustworthy.
Gioia doesn't say if this societal shift is a good thing; he just makes the observation. And he's right. If you hop on to the social media platform of your choice, you'll find there's more dialogue than monologue. Interview podcasts, roundtables, panel discussions—and even if there is just one talking head, frequently there's follow-up of comments that sometimes come so rapid-fire that they seem like a conversation.
Alas, some of us writers aren't fast on our mental feet and don't do well with impromptu conversation. I, for one, am at a disadvantage when forced to engage in talk that requires quick, logical thought. And I'm quickly quieted by a stronger, louder personality across the table. As an introvert, conversation is not my platform; but carefully-considered writing is.
I can so relate to this! In fact, I recently addressed my own uncomfortable feelings about my conversational skills in my own blog. Here's a link to it, if you care to take a look. https://lindawperkins.blogspot.com/2024/11/i-talk-to-cows.html
I remember as a child, the worst thing in class was being called on to speak in front of everyone else. I just cannot do presentations or impromptu conversations without thinking several minutes later that I forgot to say this or that. It is like my mind is having it's own conversation lagging behind my tongue while I am trying to speak out loud. The worst event of my childhood was having a part in a play. I think this was my parents idea of something good for me to do. I was so fearful of forgetting my lines in front of the audience and was so scared that it was completely unenjoyable and I couldn't wait for the production to end!