Good Conversations Have Lots of Doorknobs

Physical affordances are things like stairs and handles and benches. Conversational affordances are things like digressions and confessions and bold claims that beg for a rejoinder. Talking to another person is like rock climbing, except you are my rock wall and I am yours. If you reach up, I can grab onto your hand, and we can both hoist ourselves... See more

There’s some recent evidence that what makes conversations pop off is indeed the social equivalent of doorknobs.