Communication Quote by Sudha Murty
““Quantitatively speaking, 'conversation' is inversely proportional to economic standing. If you are traveling in a bus, your fellow passengers will get into a conversation with you very quickly and without any reservation. If you are traveling by first class on a train, people will be more reserved. If you are traveling by air, then the likely hood of getting into a conversation is quite small. If you are in first class on an international flight then you may travel 24 hours without exchanging a single word with the person sitting next to you.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Economic of Conversation, Sudha Murty, 2015
People tend to converse more with those of similar socioeconomic status; higher status environments often discourage casual chat.
In simple terms: Conversation frequency drops with higher social class.
Key Takeaway
Be mindful of social cues when approaching strangers.
Themes
social class
conversation
class dynamics
Mood
observational
analytical
Type
sociological
insightful
When to use this quote
- public transport
- business networking
- travel
- social events
Key Concepts
socioeconomic status
social interaction
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How does class affect your willingness to engage?
- Can you initiate conversation across class lines?
A Different Perspective
Higher status may also foster deeper, less frequent connections.
![“Conversation is a traffick; and if you enter into it, without some stock of knowledge, to ballance the account perpetually betwixtyou,--the trade drops at once: and this is the reasonwhy travellers have so little [good] conversation with natives,--owing to their [the natives'] suspicionthat there…” quote by Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/40f/laurence-sterne-1405_accounts_conversation-is-a-traffick-and-if-you-en_280475.jpg)
