I have been reading a volume of English Essays, four of which were written by Jonathan Swift. He was a satirist with an exceptional sense of humor, none of which I’m going to capture here in this… but here is a breakdown of his points on what, and what not, to do in conversation.

Conversation is a useful pleasure. Avoid these obvious errors:

Talking too much

Talking about yourself- others don’t care near as much as you do about yourself!

Witty people are often too concerned they have to say something witty

Don’t be pedantic. It’s an unreasonable assertion of your own knowledge

Raillery (good natured teasing that resolves to a compliment) is the finest part of conversation

Never say something others will wish had never been said.

Don’t be impatient to interrupt others

Don’t get uneasy if interrupted

Even if you don’t interrupt, don’t get so caught up with what you wanted to say that you miss important details about what followed.

Don’t be so familiar with those you don’t know as to be rude

If you are a good storyteller, don’t tell the same story over again

Obvious to avoid: dispute and contradiction, lies, not paying attention, lewd talk and profanity