CONVERSATIONS EXCLUDING THE WORD "I"

So, shall we begin our conversation omitting the word "I" ??
This may begin the test of the idea. Not to speak of one's self
in third person. Just to talk/ speak/ discuss, without using the
word I or me. DO understand the concept of seeing through
the ego as though looking through a piece of glass - more or
less opaque - depending on the condition of selflessness at the
time of seeing. And it's very easily understandable why some
persons would feel very threatened by this. Imagine this ego,
for all that it really is, it is but the very tip of the very smallest
wave in the ocean - yet the ego believes itself to "BE THE
ENTIRE OCEAN" - this is the ego's sense of self - in reality, it
is the tiniest of things - but perceives itself magnified millions
of times over. The ego is threatened by just the very idea, the
very thought, that it is not what it believes itself to be. Pity
the frightened, fearful weak little ego - imagining itself to be
ALL important, fearing that it may be seen as what it truly is.

Getting back to "we" for a moment. The word has sometimes been used somewhat grandly, as in, "We are not amused," even though the speaker refers to him- or herself. If anything, even more egotistical than the first person pronoun!

But this is to digress...

Beginning of conversation without I. . . . .

The sun shone and it did not rain a drop. How spring is so unpredictable! Tomorrow perhaps the weedy little flowers will begin to bloom. . . . .

Good point D'Art, and well said. In no way was the reference
to the word WE, meant as the GRAND way of saying "me" or
"I"; by sneaking by it in, on the sly. But, rather, to point out
the great value that can be gained through a group of people
who are, in unison, in pursuit of a single cause, whatever that
cause may be. In OUR case in particular - we are endeavoring
to discover what value is to be found in conversations which
exclude certain ego-driven words, such as I or me.

Agreed; point well-taken, babsatemelia...

YOU can call me Babs, Dar't!

Cool, Babs! Thanks...

name
How about me, Ms. Babsatamellia; may I call you Babs?
That's digression no. 1. The second one I wish to offer is an experience I had with "I" one night at a social gathering (a party). I found myself, after being invited by an individual to comment about something I was up to. Becoming rather hyper about the attention received. I went on and on about myself until I suddenly realized what I was doing. I must have used the first person singular many times, more times than I'm doing now. I tried to recover my dignity with the statement, "I'm sorry to have taken so much time talking about myself. How about YOU? What do YOU think of me?

Why certainly you can call me Babs, JL!!!

Did this REALLY happen to you at a party?
Good grief.... It's awful when several people
are all listening to me, it makes me so nervous,
that I just want to clam up and disappear. I do
SO prefer to get anyone else to talk about
themselves, it's awful. Wonderful conversations
for me, are just one other person and myself.
The chitty chat stuff with persons just met
drives me nuts!!

babble
Thanks, Babs. Yes it actually happened, and after the first time, I've done it at least two other times. Whenever I feel I'm grabbing too much attention for myself (and that is my tendency; a character flaw, I suppose), I use this line to cut off such behavior gracefully.

As we look out the window, hoping to see the first weedy little flowers, JLN starts talking about himself. We listen politely until he suddenly stops and asks us what we think about him. We all laugh at his good nature and continue to discuss the coming spring, tired to death of this past winter......

escape
Are you saying, Diane, that my escape tacti works, or are you saying that it isn't even needed because everyone is so involved with their own thoughts that they don't even notice what I'm saying (about myself) or how much time I'm taking up?
My God. Hell IS other people (including myself)!

(BTW, Diane, your statement was beautifully written)

Hmmm; "Hell IS other people" eh?

that made me think; quite an accomplishment!

Actually, I would say life IS other people; they are the "objects" of our subjectivity.

Our mirrors, our tormentors, our saviours, our competitors, our supporters......

Continuing the story started by Midnight, keeping in mind not to use the word "I," we all agree with JLN and BoGoWo, that hell is other people and life is also other people.

Collectively or individually, we all seem perfectly capable of defining our own hell, but since life is also other people, we decide to investigate the possibility of finding heaven. It can be done, we decide, if we cooperate with each other and work together.

First, we need to simply look at the weedy but beautiful little flowers that announce the beginning of spring. Finding beauty together is a fine way of finding a common ground....

Others are welcome to continue with the story sans the word "I."

"crocus"; ahem, need a glass of water, just a mo.......

Shall we all give BoGoWo a collective pat on the back? Ooops, sorry old fella, that was a little too much.

damn, all over the floor! Not to mention the flower pots.

Not to worry, BoGoWo, the flowers needed watering anyway. This collective business can get a little complicated.

what was it you were collecting again?

Participants here may also enjoy Lola's Salon, which seems to work on the same premise re sentence construction and tale telling. It is not entirely clear to this observer of both amusements if they differ in philosophy. With fondness of the egocentric word such a vein through our expressive past, it appears that one can stumble to express inchoate concerns without it, the egocentric word, that is.