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 content. The full essay by Brian Daskam is now live.