If 'its rude to express your opinion unless asked', how is it possible to have a meaningfull conversation

Question

How can the conversation be advanced to new topics?

Answer 1

It is not rude to express your opinion and you are free to do so, but it is the way that you express it that may be considered rude. If you become aggressive or smug - holier than thou and do not allow others to also to voice their opinion and listen to what they are saying, then it is rude. That is my opinion.

Answer 2

Conversations meander across many subjects. when one subject becomes tiring to one of the conversing party,they may interject another subject when a lull in the conversation provides an opportunity. The new topic may be anything that the person considers interesting, socially acceptable, and is offered for their consideration. If they bite, then the conversation takes off. If they roll their eyes, look uncomfortable, fidget or give other indicators the topic may not be interesting to them, then a lull occurs and somebody else has an opportunity to enter a new topic. You cannot just jamb a topic into conversation though, because that would be rude to the person who introduced the present topic and the others who may still be enjoying that topic. If you object to a topic on moral grounds, you might gently say so and give your reasoning. When you bring a new topic in, remember you are offering it. It must be accepted (spoken to) before the conversation will take off. If it is not accepted, don't bring it up again in that party because that can make others uncomfortable. The dynamics of multiple person conversations, conversations with individuals who are acquaintances, good friends and intimate friends will all be different for what you can demand for topics. use good common sense. One last thing, (at the risk of being one myself,) remember that all that is necessary to be a bore is to tell everything.

Answer 3

If you are engaged in a conversation, then by default you are in a forum where the expression of your opinion is not only welcome, but encouraged. Discussion of a topic between two or more parties demands that varying opinions be forwarded for consideration by the group, therefore no rudeness can exist if the conversation is kept cordial and all opinions are respected by all parties.

NOW, walking up to a person and offereing unsolicited advice, opinions, etc. CAN be considered rude in certain circumstances; i.e. a passerby giving the mother of a young child unsolicited advice on how to change a diaper, stop a child from crying, etc., are not only rude, but can ALSO be off the mark, particularly if the opinionator has no other knowledge of the situation other than what they observe on the spot.

Answer 4

Dr. Weasel made some very good points. However, I think that a lot depends on the social context. Not every group is so sensitive to social protocol about accepting topics or not accepting them. If you pay too much attention to that you'll be reduced to making small talk or gossiping all the time.

This "rule" smacks of the old adage "children should be seen and not heard." I know plenty of highly educated and civilized people who can slice you to ribbons with their tongues, while being entirely polite. They attempt to control the conversation and the content. However, they are extremely mean and rude.

Somehow, you need to strike a balance, but just allowing someone to dominate the conversation, or just dominating it by yourself is rarely productive.

Answer 5

I don't think it is rude to express urself without being allowed, unless u are at school or in other places (work sadly and too bad, sometimes family) where discipline and discourses are imposed, and don't work in a dual way.
Conversation comes from the latin, and its meaning means "speaking with".
Conversations can only improve, as u say, if both parts can express, otherwise, if it works one-way only, it is a speech.
Remember being polite and u can nearly always say what you want or think.

Answer 6

Dude, it's a free country. Here's how I roll -- say what's on your mind. If it rubs people the wrong way, tell them to move to Cuba.