Response To Chuck Klosterman's 'Eating The Dinosaur'

As I read eating the Dinosaur written by Chuck Klosterman (precisely chapters 1 and 2), it just dawns on me that I have never really considered the reasons why people talk. More importantly, the book reveals the covert motives behind my communication with people. Suddenly I just realized that there is more to humans’ conversations beyond the fact that they have well developed brains and have the capacity to express intelligible words. Part of the discovery I made was that the intentions of my mind when I communicate with people vary based on my mood at the time of the conversation, the environment, the kind of people I am conversing with, and my cognitive bias and preconceived notion. In this light, I agree with the concept of “Privileged access” credited to Enroll Morris by Klosterman. Enroll Morris believes that we do not have privileged access to our minds: we truly do not know who we are and that is why we engage in a seemingly endless battle of self-discovery (Klosterman, pg. 5). I absolutely agree with Morris because I found his assertion about the battle of self-discovery to be true in my personal experience.
I was recently conversing with some colleagues at work, and I happened to be the dominant speaker among them.
They were asking me questions about how to secure college admission and how to apply for financial aid. For about fifteen minutes of our discussion, I did not realize that I was talking so vigorously because their questions created an opportunity for me to show my “superiority” over them. This realization dawn on me when one of my colleagues challenged a categorical point I made. Ironically, I discuss regularly about my college admission and courses with my wife, but I talk about it at home with entirely different motive. When am in the public, I usually do not talk so much, but most times I tend to dominate discussion when I appear to know more than others involved. I believe this applies to a lot of people also; we speak to show forth
knowledge.

Another reason people talk is to elicit information from another person from whom they can gain more knowledge and understanding about a subject matter. This kind of communication is about the transference of knowledge in a learning environment. While learning requires studying various written materials such as textbooks, journals and so on, these materials cannot take the place of communication between the instructor and the students. Textbooks address general issues in various fields, but there are certain issues in the hearts of students that textbook might not be able to address in a specific sense. For instance, a Psychology textbook that contains topics ethics, behavioral patterns, the concept of personality, etc. cannot help a student who could not understand some parts of the topics because of his cultural and social background or bias. Such a student will need to ask questions so that he can receive the kind help that textbooks cannot give him.

People also talk to form and build relationships. Communication, they say, is the lifeline of relationships. Humans are social beings. I cannot imagine a home where everyone minds his or her own business. I believe that relationships cannot exist without verbal communication. Husband and wife need to discuss regularly in order to understand each other; parents and children must have regular talks so that parents can know what their children are passing through; goal setting and performance appraisal between an employee and superior is vital for the overall success an organization.
Talking is a very good means for people to lessen the burdens of their hearts. People express their emotions of joy, anger and sadness through talking. People who express their minds regularly through talking stand a better chance to live a good life among other human beings.