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Although I think there is much for me to learn in the area of communication, I've been told by my friends that I’m a great person to speak to. It seems that I have a talent for having conversations go on without boring others. In fact, I don’t think there are any “tricks” you have to use to be a great conversationalist. Below are some rules I apply in all my conversations.
Focus on the positives. Go for the positive topics. Instead of talking about past sadness, choose a discussion of future goals. During your conversations, always take a forward-thinking attitude. Less complaining, more solutions. Less judging, more understanding. Doing more of the latter will make you a more enjoyable person to speak to.
It's fine to express your opinion, but don't force them to accept. Respect other people’s privacy. Respect other people’s personal choices—don't criticize or judge. Remember, everyone has his right to be himself, just as you have the right to be yourself. That is, respect others. Respect other people’s point of view.
Be true to yourself. Your best asset (财富) is your true personality. Value it and let it shine. Don’t cover it up. It’ll be pretty boring if you just repeat the other person’s words during a conversation. If you want to communicate with others very well, be ready to share your real thoughts and opinions and let others know the real you.
50-50 sharing. I always think that a great conversation should be made up of equal sharing by both people involved in it. Sometimes it may be 40-60 or 60-40 depending on the circumstances, but in general, both should have equal opportunities to share and contribute to the conversation.
(1) What's the author like in his friends’ eyes? (No more than 10 words)
(2) What does the underlined words “the latter” in Paragraph 2 refer to? (No more than 5 words)
(3) What's the main idea of Paragraph 3? (No more than 5 words)
(4) What's a person's best asset according to the author? (No more than 5 words)
(5) How do we become great conversationalists? Why? (No more than 20 words)