The Mug

Only the person holding the mug can speak.

For another person to speak the mug must be passed on to them.
A person can reach for the mug or otherwise indicate a desire to speak, but they cannot take it without it being agreed.

A person can refuse to pass the mug on to a particular person but must realise the enormity of this gesture (or non gesture).

If nobody has the desire to speak the mug can be put down.

If somebody would like to speak after a silence they must pick up the mug.

Too often are discussions and debates dominated by those with the loudest voice or the greatest desire to speak. The desire to speak instead of or over another, can extinguish any number of meaningful contributions from others. By removing any possibility of interruption, and adding mutual silence when others are speaking we are made aware of the heightened importance of body language and eye contact, and may have to pay greater attention to the concision of our statements. After these rules have been obeyed we may still find that the discussion is dominated by one or two figures. With the exception of some mitigating shyness, we can say that those who spoke were encouraged to do so by the behavior of others in the group.

References

In Slavoj Zizek’s ‘Everything you wanted to know about Lacan (but were afraid to ask Hitchcock)’ (1992) the term McGuffin is used to define a plot device that motivates the characters or advances the story, but otherwise has little or no actual relevance. Zizek later goes on to describe another device that acts as an ‘object of exchange’ that serves as a guarantee or pawn of the subjects’ symbolic relationship.

‘For example, in Strangers on a Train the murderous pact between Bruno and Guy holds only in so far as the object (the cigarette lighter) is circulating between them.’

In William Golding’s novel ‘The Lord of the Flies’ (1954) a Conch shell is used to represent power, authority, civilisation, and democracy. It is used to call the boys to meetings, and whoever is holding the shell in the meetings has the power to speak. The Conch shows how people use objects to signify power (a Crown, Sceptre, etc) and how without a democratizing mouthpiece or vessel of political legitimacy all hope of civilisatiion is lost.

‘Ralph smiled and held up the Conch for silence’