Chatty Man

Do you like talking about serious topics?

Because I kind of do. 

I don't claim to be an expert at any of them and I can  always talk about movie sequels and who is going into the Big Brother house if you want.

But sometimes you can move beyond Batman v Superman to discuss whether they should build a wall between Mexico and the United States or a new Silk Road between China and the Mediterranean or just about anything else that is dark and interesting.

Of course n as we are no longer living in a country with free speech, controversial territory increasingly puts people on edge but the edges are where the interesting stuff happens.

The problem of course is that you have to be careful who you enter into these conversations with.

You have got to know your enemy, whether you'll be picked up on finishing your sentences with a preposition or lambasted for being a something-ist.

It can easily become not very enjoyable at all.

You can easily end up talking to somebody as though you stepped into a time machine and awoke in the sixth form common room.

Somebody who is a fully subscribed socialist or tie-wearing Tory – it makes little difference. 

The more narrowminded they are, the less interesting conversations are going to be.

What happens then is that you will end up being the story. Disaster. 

The reason serious conversations are okay it because it's okay to be funny about them.

You can use the same sense of humour as you would if you are commenting on a Strictly elimination.

You can express an opinion and tart up with a little bit of froth to make people feel better about themselves.

You can use a lightness of touch.

And ram it down their throats.