"There is no such thing as a conversation," novelist and literary critic Rebecca West said in her collection of short stories, The Harsh Voice. West believes that our words simply pass over the words of others without any deep communication between the two parties.
Who among us did not sympathize with this feeling at some point in his life? Whether we're having a small talk with a bartender in a bar, or meeting up with a close friend, we might hope for a better connection, only to end the conversation feeling like our minds failed to meet.
The pandemic has certainly heightened our awareness of these sensations. After long periods of isolation, we have become more eager for social contact than ever before, and it is even disappointing to feel that there is a void between us and others, even after the physical distancing measures have been canceled.