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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.

Passion inspires passion, and sincerity summons forth sincerity. Genuine dialogue is just this sort of profound life-to-life interaction.
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.
Let us extinguish the flames of hatred with a flood of dialogue.
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.
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.

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