--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Conversations...begin with the sort of…" description: "\"Conversations...begin with the sort of imaginative engagement you get when you read a novel or watch a movie or attend to a work of art that speaks fro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/kwame-anthony-appiah-25090_art_conversations-begin-with-the-sort-of-ima_1077055.jpg" --- # Conversations...begin with the sort of imaginative… ![“Conversations...begin with the sort of imaginative engagement you get when you read a novel or watch a movie or attend to a work of art that speaks from some place other than your own. So I'm using the word 'conversation' not only for literal talk but also as a metaphor for engagement with the…” quote by Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/kwame-anthony-appiah-25090_art_conversations-begin-with-the-sort-of-ima_1077055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/kwame-anthony-appiah-25090_art_conversations-begin-with-the-sort-of-ima_1077055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/059/kwame-anthony-appiah-25090_art_conversations-begin-with-the-sort-of-ima_1077055.jpg) > “Conversations...begin with the sort of imaginative engagement you get when you read a novel or watch a movie or attend to a work of art that speaks from some place other than your own. So I'm using the word 'conversation' not only for literal talk but also as a metaphor for engagement with the experience and ideas of others. And I stress the role of the imagination here because the encounters, properly conducted, are valuable in themselves. Conversation doesn't have to lead to consensus about anything, especially not values; it's enough that it helps people get used to one another.” [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Imaginative engagement with others' perspectives, like reading fiction, enriches understanding without requiring agreement. **In simple terms:** Engage with others' ideas through imagination, not just literal talk. Key Takeaway Use imagination to explore diverse viewpoints. Themes imagination engagement diversity dialogue Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - education - art criticism - cross‑cultural communication - team brainstorming Key Concepts philosophy social cognition empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster imaginative dialogue without losing factual clarity? - What role does imagination play in building empathy? A Different Perspective May lead to misunderstanding if imagination replaces critical analysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Consensus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consensus/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Conversations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversations/) [Encounters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounters/) [Engagement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engagement/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Imaginative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative/) [Imaginative Engagement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginative-engagement-520536/) [Literal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literal/) [Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Stress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stress/) [Talk Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk-metaphor-1783081/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Valuable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable/) [Valuable Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/valuable-conversation-2713538/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Watch A Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watch-a-movie/) [Watches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watches/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [When I can't talk sense, I talk metaphor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-philpot-curran/when-i-can-t-talk-sense-i-talk-metaphor/) [John Philpot Curran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-philpot-curran/) > [“Like good reading skills, good writing skills require immersion and imaginative engagement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/like-good-reading-skills-good-writing-skills-require-immersion-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [We can't literally talk with everybody else on the planet or even with representatives of every group. 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I remember my dad would put gramophone record, and would sit and read a book.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/whatever-your-parents-do-you-get-conditioned-to-that-i-remember-my/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Most people don't watch a movie four or five times; they watch it once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/most-people-don-t-watch-a-movie-four-or-five-times-they-watch-it-once/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [If you are dating someone in New York City, and they invite you over to watch a movie, they don't really want to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gethard/if-you-are-dating-someone-in-new-york-city-and-they-invite-you-over/) [Chris Gethard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gethard/) > [Blythe Danner is somebody whose career I admire. She's a great actress and does good work, but also has a life of her own.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-faris/blythe-danner-is-somebody-whose-career-i-admire-she-s-a-great-actress/) [Anna Faris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-faris/) > [“How To Tell If Somebody Loves You: Somebody loves you if they pick an eyelash off of your face or wet a napkin and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-o-connell/how-to-tell-if-somebody-loves-you-somebody-loves-you-if-they-pick-an/) [Ryan O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-o-connell/) > [I've had a VHS collection for many, many years. But I would prefer to watch a movie in the best format possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panos-cosmatos/i-ve-had-a-vhs-collection-for-many-many-years-but-i-would-prefer-to/) [Panos Cosmatos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/panos-cosmatos/) ## More by Kwame Anthony Appiah > [There are many people of cosmopolitan temperament who are not from the elites of their societies or the world; and while, for a variety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/there-are-many-people-of-cosmopolitan-temperament-who-are-not-from/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [Cosmopolitans begin, I think, with a sense of one thing we all certainly share, which is our fallibility. Nobody has reason to be confident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/cosmopolitans-begin-i-think-with-a-sense-of-one-thing-we-all/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [In life, the challenge is not so much to figure out how best to play the game; the challenge is to figure out what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/in-life-the-challenge-is-not-so-much-to-figure-out-how-best-to-play/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [Conversation doesn’t have to lead to consensus about anything especially not values; it’s enough that it helps people get used to one another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/conversation-doesn-t-have-to-lead-to-consensus-about-anything/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [“It's important to understand that while honor is an entitlement to respect--and shame comes when you lose that title--a person of honor cares first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/it-s-important-to-understand-that-while-honor-is-an-entitlement-to/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [A value is like a fax machine: it’s not much use if you’re the only one who has one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/a-value-is-like-a-fax-machine-it-s-not-much-use-if-you-re-the-only/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [I've long had the idea that the factors that are most important in determining what we believe, how we live, and what we accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/i-ve-long-had-the-idea-that-the-factors-that-are-most-important-in/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [When philosophers talk about reason they often have in mind Having been in the business of philosophy more than half my life, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/when-philosophers-talk-about-reason-they-often-have-in-mind-having/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [I started philosophy looking for answers. But along the way I came to prize exploring the questions. Progress in philosophy consists, I think, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/i-started-philosophy-looking-for-answers-but-along-the-way-i-came-to/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [“This is, of course, an easy Berlinian riposte. Start with some graceful hand waving about incommensurability; declare that nothing could reconcile these great goods;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/this-is-of-course-an-easy-berlinian-riposte-start-with-some-graceful/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [I favor a form of cosmopolitanism that takes nations very seriously, particularly because of the role of national law in sustaining or, unfortunately, undermining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/i-favor-a-form-of-cosmopolitanism-that-takes-nations-very-seriously/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [The phrase 'academic freedom' is often used carelessly: here is a work that will allow a more careful conversation about those many crucial issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/the-phrase-academic-freedom-is-often-used-carelessly-here-is-a-work/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [The challenge, then, is to take minds and hearts formed over the long millennia of living in local troops and equip them with ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/the-challenge-then-is-to-take-minds-and-hearts-formed-over-the-long/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [“What were they thinking?' we ask about our ancestors, but we know that, a century hence, our descendents will ask the same thing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/what-were-they-thinking-we-ask-about-our-ancestors-but-we-know-that-a/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) > [We can't literally talk with everybody else on the planet or even with representatives of every group. But we can be in favor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-anthony-appiah/we-can-t-literally-talk-with-everybody-else-on-the-planet-or-even/) [Kwame Anthony Appiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) [Explore all 23 Kwame Anthony Appiah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-anthony-appiah/) ## More Art quotes > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. 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