The gentle art of conversation

Yogi Berra famously said, “It was impossible to get a conversation going; everybody was talking too much.”

Even though conversation is supposed to be a mutual give and take, it is often too much take and too little give.

Do you recognize yourself in one of these conversational bad guys?

The Boor: He goes on and on about pet subjects no one wants to listen to and doesn’t realize he is monopolizing the conversation.

The Braggart: She loves to tell you about her latest purchases, how much money she makes, what kind of car she drives.

It doesn’t matter if you’re toothless and living in a box, she’...