I don’t like this notion that good conversation must somehow be dishonest. To my mind, the key is being sympathetic to your interlocutors—sympathetic in the old sense, meaning understanding and sharing their emotions.
I enjoyed https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Über_den_Umgang_mit_Menschen , from the XVIII. Its modern namesakes are just "etiquette books", but the original was far from the genre, and more about how one can attempt to get enjoyable and perhaps enlightening conversations, with specific examples concerning a diverse set of personality types. (almost all of which are still here in the XXI)
"Getting along with the rest of the world" might be a translation, similar to the french notion of savoir être (as opposed to savoir faire)...
Interesting, my takeaway from the article to be honest in almost all cases.
Positive disagreement seemed like a good example of being honest in a pro-social way. Expressing your honest view in a way that doesn't shut anyone down.
The author argues that mirroring people's opinions is boring for the other person.
> The author argues that mirroring people's opinions is boring for the other person.
It’s also a major red flag in interpersonal relationships. I tend to keep my distance with people who use mirroring tactics because it can often be a sign of underlying personality disorders (chameleon effect).
>I tend to keep my distance with people who use mirroring tactics because it can often be a sign of underlying personality disorders (chameleon effect).
