Genuine dialogue is a ceaseless and profound spiritual exertion that seeks to effect a fundamental human transformation in both ourselves and others. Dialogue challenges us to confront and transform the destructive impulses inherent in human life. I earnestly believe that the energy generated by this courageous effort can break the chains of resignation and apathy that bind the human heart, unleashing renewed confidence and vision for the future.
We are not born human in any but a biological sense; it is only by immersion in the "ocean of language and dialogue" fed by the springs of cultural tradition that we can learn to know ourselves and others and thus learn the ways of being human.
It is in the ocean of dialogue that a person can become truly human. Dialogue is an epic challenge which first requires you to change yourself, rather than trying to change others.
Words spoken from the heart have the power to change a person's life. They can even melt the icy walls of mistrust that separate peoples and nations.
The true value of dialogue is not to be found solely in the results it produces but also in the process of dialogue itself, as two human spirits engage with and elevate each other to a higher realm.
People and societies that are open to dialogue do not stagnate but grow and develop.
Key to dialogue is respect for the other person, a willingness to listen, and a readiness to learn from them.
When we stop looking at ourselves, when we no longer question ourselves, we become self-righteous and dogmatic. Our discourse becomes a one-way street: We cannot hear others, and real dialogue becomes impossible.
How can 21st-century humankind overcome the crises that face us? There is, of course, no simple solution, no "magic wand" we can wave to make it all better. The core of such efforts must be to bring forth the full potential of dialogue. So long as human history continues, we will face the perennial challenge of realizing, maintaining and strengthening peace through dialogue.
Dialogue starts from the courageous willingness to know and be known by others. It is the painstaking and persistent effort to remove all obstacles that obscure our common humanity.
The two wheels that carry dialogue forward are a belief that everyone possesses goodness within, and a spirit of unflagging determination to tap and draw out that goodness.
Passion inspires passion, and sincerity summons forth sincerity. Genuine dialogue is just this sort of profound life-to-life interaction.
Let us extinguish the flames of hatred with a flood of dialogue.
So long as human history continues, we will face the perennial challenge of realizing, maintaining, and strengthening peace through dialogue, of making dialogue the sure and certain path to peace. We must uphold and proclaim this conviction without cease, whatever coldly knowing smiles or cynical critiques may greet us.
The courage to meet and talk with people is absolutely crucial. Choosing dialogue is itself the triumph of peace and of humanity.
Dialogues are like a drama in multiple acts. There are moments when sparks fly, and moments of sheer delight when chords of sympathy reverberate. Lively, vigorous dialogue is satisfying and overflowing with dynamism.
Without dialogue, humans are fated to walk in the darkness of their own dogmatic self-righteousness. Dialogue is the lamp by which we dispel that darkness, lighting and making visible for each other our steps and the path ahead.
