Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id WAA14121 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 14 Apr 2002 22:28:48 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [195.188.97.251] User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/9.0.2509 Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 22:19:59 +0100 Subject: Re: Re Grammar From: Steve Drew <srdrew_1@hotmail.com> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Message-ID: <B8DFAF34.A7%srdrew_1@hotmail.com> In-Reply-To: <200204141536.QAA13539@alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk> Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-OriginalArrivalTime: 14 Apr 2002 21:22:32.0587 (UTC) FILETIME=[7D41ADB0:01C1E3FA] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Kenneth
> Date: Sun, 14 Apr 2002 17:10:09 +0200
> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be>
> Subject: Re: Re Grammar
>
> - ----- Original Message -----
> From: Richard Brodie <richard@brodietech.com>
>> The straightforward explanation is that language allows communication of
>> important survival information both in the moment and from old to new
>> generations.
>
> << What has for example the small talk we all say, day in day out to do
> with our survival !?
> It is socially related and of social importance, yes, but IMO not necessay
> to survive, not even socially !!
Possibly now it has less importance to physical survival, which in the past
group cohesion would have been important for early humans, but small talk
still is important. Small talk makes up a large part of our conversations as
it is a social grooming thing. We are affirming friendships, status etc by
the act of small talk. To not engage in small talk can still be 'death'
socially!
Eg. Yesterday I was at a wedding with people who are well educated,
intelligent and good conversationalists. So what occurred? We spent the time
catching up on gossip, jokes and anecdotes! And as the beer flows it usually
gets worse. Some one once said that manners were the grease that allowed
society to function smoothly . IMO it is small talk in general that does
this.
Regards
Steve
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