Just like the advice of avoiding the use of “I”, “Me”, “Mine”, it is also very necessary that we should talk with people and not talking to people. One may wonder – what is the difference in the above? There is a whole lot of difference in talking with people and in talking to people.

Talking with someone means having a dialogue, talking to person in one on one discussion. It is a corporate affair. It is all inclusive and all involving. It means a two dimensional act in which each person shares and airs his views, opinions and interests. The speaker expresses his own views, opinions and allows his listeners to express his own. It is a dialogue. When one talks to another it is monologue. But when one talks with another it is dialogue. Leo Buscaglia succinctly puts it this way “I love the work of Martin Buber, and especially his concept of “I” and “Thou”. He says each of us is a “thou”, and when we are interacting with each other, we must interact as if we are holy things because indeed we are special. So when I am interacting with you, you are a Thou. He says so often we interact with each other on the basis of “I” and “it”. Don’t you feel angry sometimes about being treated so often like an “it”? I am never reticent to shout out, scream it, “I am not an it! I am me. I am Felice Leonardo Buscaglia. One of a kind! Don’t look through me. I have dignity”. As long as we deal with people as “I” and “Thou”, we have dialogue. When we treat people as “I” and “It”, it becomes a monologue. I don’t want to talk to myself. I want to talk with you. And I want you to talk with me. We have dignity”.

Talking with someone rather than talking to somebody shows that the speaker realizes that the other also has an opinion, a view and something to contribute. It is a sign of respect and appreciation. But talking to somebody is tyrannical, dictatorial and regimental. It is also a show of selfishness, and ego-centricism. It also shows lack of respect of people’s feelings, views and opinions and dignity.