On World Day for Dialogue, civilizations struggle to communicate

The article begins by noting June 10th as the "World Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations," immediately posing a critical question: do civilizations actually converse, or do they primarily engage in warfare and threats of annihilation?

The author expresses skepticism about whether entities that suppress dialogue and communicate only through destruction can still be considered civilizations. This is contrasted with the simple, fundamental human interaction of a polite greeting, "Good day, how are you?"

Referencing Xu Bing's "Heavenly Book," an artwork created from four thousand non-existent Chinese characters, the author draws a parallel to the idea that civilizations may struggle to communicate even with themselves. This lack of self-understanding extends to a perceived inability to truly comprehend one's own history, which is often reinterpreted through a modern lens.

The piece concludes with the author seeking dialogue but mostly encountering monologues. Finding a sense of peace, the author turns to the sea, describing it as a source of profound meaning and suggesting that the ocean's waves can be interpreted as a dialogue, even in the absence of complete understanding.