Chatter vs. Rational Discourse

Should we human beings with a mind of our own settle for chatter, forsaking aiming for rationality?

Lately, I've been traveling across country on a Greyhound bus: back and forth, then forth and back. The time on the bus provided an especial opportunity to listen in to the conversations, howbeit one-sided, taking place over cellular phones. The usual gist of such repartee took the form: "Hello, I'm just arriving in your town. I'll be there in ten minutes; no eight minutes..." ending with the anticipated plea, "Can you pick me up?...How soon?" And, so it went--the usual thing.

However, some conversations lasted for hours. Each traveler of this classification was apparently lonely. He or she didn't want to be on the bus among so many strangers, so the individual sought some friend to vicariously and selfishly accompany him or her on the trip. On and on the conversation droned. There was I, listening to multiple conversations usually conducted in hushed tones but loud enough for my ears to pick up.

This was a profound experience for me, for it dawned on me that each party to the lengthy conversation via a phone cell was evincing an emotional reaction to the sounds of the other. The chatter served to bring each participant together in a lingering personal experience, much like when birds chirp to one another in a locality, evoking a togetherness with others of their species.

However, such experiences are emotional reactions to what is said and how it is said. It is not rational discourse. It's an identifying togetherness, a visceral reaction. For rational discourse to occur, each party would have to think over what is important to communicate to the listener: how might the communication add to the knowledge and well-being of the other? I am reminded of J. L. Moreno's phrase, "the warm up." It's a period of preparation of thinking over what to say that the hearer will benefit as a result of the communication. There needs to be forethought to say something intelligent and meaningful.

It looks, however, that rational discourse is on the wane, rapidly being replaced by chatter--like two animals emoting! People are no longer prepared to take the time to make use of their minds in communicating. They're becoming content to make significant noise--like grunting during their eating dinner!