that if such a group continues to meet regularly, social conventions begin to wear thin, and the content of sub-cultural differences begins to assert itself, regardless of the topic du jour. This emergent friction between contrasting values is at the heart of dialogue, in that it allows the participants to notice the assumptions that are active in the group, including one’s own personal assumptions. Recognizing the power of these assumptions and attending to their “viruslike” nature may lead to a new understanding of the fragmentary and self-destructive nature of many of our thought processes.
