How to Ruin a Great Conversation:

1. Replace curiosity with curiositas.

2. Treat therapeutic self-disclosure as the zenith of intellectual intimacy.

3. Assume that talking about great books is the same thing as having a great discussion.

4. Allow your conversations to become sclerotic.

5. Focus on the form of your conversations to the neglect of the co... See more

Even the way people give and receive arguments is coded by cultural norms; the default expectation of “rational” deliberation has been challenged by various scholars, who argue that those who regularly engage that way are often whiter, more educated, and more economically well off. As such, deliberative processes still often proceed along lines of ... See more