---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not just any talk is conversation; not…"
description: "\"Not just any talk is conversation; not any talk raises consciousness. Good conversation has an edge: it opens your eyes to something, quickens your ear..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png"
---

#  Not just any talk is conversation; not any talk raises…

![“Not just any talk is conversation; not any talk raises consciousness. Good conversation has an edge: it opens your eyes to something, quickens your ears. And good conversation reverberates: it keeps on talking in your mind later in the day; the next day, you find yourself still conversing with…” quote by James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png)

> “Not just any talk is conversation; not any talk raises consciousness. Good conversation has an edge: it opens your eyes to something, quickens your ears. And good conversation reverberates: it keeps on talking in your mind later in the day; the next day, you find yourself still conversing with what was said. That reverberation afterward is the very raising of consciousness; your mind's been moved. You are at another level with your reflections.”

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Good conversation provokes awareness, lingers in thought, and elevates consciousness beyond the moment.

**In simple terms:** Deep talks stay in mind and raise awareness.

Key Takeaway

Seek conversations that challenge and resonate.

Themes

conversation consciousness reflection

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

philosophical introspective

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- educational seminars
- friendship discussions
- creative brainstorming

Key Concepts

cognitive activation dialogue depth mindfulness

Questions to Reflect On

- What topics spark lasting thought?
- How do you foster deeper dialogue?

A Different Perspective

May not suit all personalities or contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Another Level](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another-level/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness/) [Consciousness Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consciousness-good-2075389/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Conversation Reverberates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation-reverberates-2550673/) [Ears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ears/) [Edges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edges/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Finding yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-yourself/) [Good conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-conversation/) [Levels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/levels/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Moved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moved/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [Next day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next-day/) [Raises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raises/) [Raises Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raises-consciousness-2550674/) [Raising Consciousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raising-consciousness-1618144/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Reverberation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverberation/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Talking Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-mind-845093/) [Ur Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ur-eyes/)

## Related quotes

> [I was listening to a lot of hip hop, music like Public Enemy that was about raising consciousness, and I realised I could feed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ofili/i-was-listening-to-a-lot-of-hip-hop-music-like-public-enemy-that-was/)

[Chris Ofili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ofili/)

> [“Raising consciousness involves confronting people with issues and truths that they have not really considered before. Many of these truths are uncomfortable and disturbing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-overmire/raising-consciousness-involves-confronting-people-with-issues-and/)

[Laurence Overmire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-overmire/)

> [Nobody can teach you love. Love you have to find yourself, within your being, by raising your consciousness to higher levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/nobody-can-teach-you-love-love-you-have-to-find-yourself-within-your/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [We need to learn to listen to what the people need and want and not try to impose on them a whole schema that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gar-alperovitz/we-need-to-learn-to-listen-to-what-the-people-need-and-want-and-not/)

[Gar Alperovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gar-alperovitz/)

> [The consciousness of good intention is the greatest solace of misfortunes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/the-consciousness-of-good-intention-is-the-greatest-solace-of/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [“If drugs really numb your consciousness, they'd be a good thing. As it was, they slowed you down, confused you, kept you vulnerable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/if-drugs-really-numb-your-consciousness-they-d-be-a-good-thing-as-it/)

[Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/)

> [Indulging the consciousness of being good is the way to lose that goodness; being vain of one's ability is the way to lose it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/indulging-the-consciousness-of-being-good-is-the-way-to-lose-that/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [There is sufficient reward in the mere consciousness of a good action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/there-is-sufficient-reward-in-the-mere-consciousness-of-a-good-action/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Everything that exalts and expands consciousness is good, while that which depresses and diminishes it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-unamuno/everything-that-exalts-and-expands-consciousness-is-good-while-that/)

[Miguel de Unamuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-unamuno/)

> [“You were right. I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind except that you happen to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/you-were-right-i-enjoy-talking-to-you-your-mind-appeals-to-me-it/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/i-enjoy-talking-to-you-your-mind-appeals-to-me/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [If you want to get over a problem, stop talking about it. Your mind affects your mouth and your mouth affects your mind. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/if-you-want-to-get-over-a-problem-stop-talking-about-it-your-mind/)

[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [I enjoy talking to you, my mind needs a rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-enjoy-talking-to-you-my-mind-needs-a-rest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind except that you happen to be insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/i-enjoy-talking-to-you-your-mind-appeals-to-me-it-resembles-my-own/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [Do you remember writing in your diary," he said, "that it did not matter whether I was a friend or an enemy, since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/do-you-remember-writing-in-your-diary-he-said-that-it-did-not-matter/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

## More by James Hillman

> [“Each life is formed by its unique image, an image that is the essence of that life and calls it to a destiny. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/each-life-is-formed-by-its-unique-image-an-image-that-is-the-essence/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Fear is a huge thing for older people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/fear-is-a-huge-thing-for-older-people/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [It's a terrible cruelty of predatory capitalism: both parents now have to work. A family has to have two incomes in order to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/it-s-a-terrible-cruelty-of-predatory-capitalism-both-parents-now-have/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [You know, people come to therapy really for a blessing. Not so much to fix what's broken, but to get what's broken blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/you-know-people-come-to-therapy-really-for-a-blessing-not-so-much-to/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Until the culture recognizes the legitimacy of growing down, each person in the culture struggles blindly to make sense of the darkness that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/until-the-culture-recognizes-the-legitimacy-of-growing-down-each/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [ “The first way has been excellently presented by David Holt in his lecture on “Jung and Marx.” \[1\] There Holt shows that Jung imagined his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/the-first-way-has-been-excellently-presented-by-david-holt-in-his/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [I'm the result of upbringing, class, race, gender, social prejudices, and economics. So I'm a victim again. A result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/i-m-the-result-of-upbringing-class-race-gender-social-prejudices-and/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [There is more in a human life than our theories of it allow. Sooner or later something seems to call us onto a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/there-is-more-in-a-human-life-than-our-theories-of-it-allow-sooner-or/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Depression opens the door to beauty of some kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/depression-opens-the-door-to-beauty-of-some-kind/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [The idea of death robs inquiry of its passionate vitality and empties our efforts of their purpose by coming to one predestined conclusion, death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/the-idea-of-death-robs-inquiry-of-its-passionate-vitality-and-empties/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [I'm in favor of destruction, aggression, hating things. Not bearing things anymore. We think the breakdown comes because our life is in bad shape.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/i-m-in-favor-of-destruction-aggression-hating-things-not-bearing/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [In the past, friendship was a huge thing. But it's hard for us to think of friendship as a calling, because it's not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/in-the-past-friendship-was-a-huge-thing-but-it-s-hard-for-us-to-think/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Psychotherapy theory turns it all on you: you are the one who is wrong. If a kid is having trouble or is discouraged, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/psychotherapy-theory-turns-it-all-on-you-you-are-the-one-who-is-wrong/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [The self divided is precisely where the self is authentically located. . . We all have identity crises because a single identity is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/the-self-divided-is-precisely-where-the-self-is-authentically-located/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Love alone is not enough. Without imagination, love stales into sentiment, duty, boredom. Relationships fail not because we have stopped loving but because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/love-alone-is-not-enough-without-imagination-love-stales-into/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

[Explore all 171 James Hillman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

## More Communication quotes

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/)

[John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/)

> [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/)

[Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/)

> [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/)

[Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/)

> [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/)

[Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/)

> [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/)

[Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/)

> [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/)

[Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/)

> [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/)

[Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/)

> [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/)

[Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/)

> [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/)

[Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/)

> [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/)

[Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/)

[Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Not just any talk is conversation; not any talk raises consciousness. Good conversation has an edge: it opens your eyes to something, quickens your ears. And good conversation reverberates: it keeps on talking in your mind later in the day; the next day, you find yourself still conversing with what was said. That reverberation afterward is the very raising of consciousness; your mind's been moved. You are at another level with your reflections.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Hillman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-any-talk-raises-consciousness/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communication"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-any-talk-raises-consciousness/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0e2/james-hillman-2336_communication_not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-an_1866823.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Not just any talk is conversation; not any talk raises consciousness. Good conversation has an edge: it…” — James Hillman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "James Hillman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Not just any talk is conversation;...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-any-talk-raises-consciousness/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/not-just-any-talk-is-conversation-not-any-talk-raises-consciousness/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
