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Articles

The Bits In Between

John Shand reads between the lines.

Ever had the feeling that you can’t get on someone’s wavelength? This is more than disagreeing with them about something, even something quite important, such as whether the invasion of Iraq was a good idea, or whether Haydn or Delius was the greater composer. Indeed, not being on someone’s wavelength may not involve disagreeing about things much at all. It’s about how things are viewed in a more general sense – about what is salient, or important, to each person. But this may explain why it sometimes seems impossible to get someone to see one’s point of view, no matter how much you argue things out or whatever rhetorical devices you use. Here is one possible, but I think far-reaching, explanation for one not being on another person’s wavelength.

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