Noted business expert Ben Stein explores how successful people communicate. His basic thesis: be insincere, and by recognizing the psychology of the person you are talking to, manipulate them. His advice takes three forms: flatter, talk about the practical business, and avoid controversial topics.

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/yourlife/29225

[In a society like Stein's desired one, communication no longer exists, except on neutral business topics. Anything controversial or honest or human would be eliminated. Yet he is correct that this is the way to succeed in our current society, and we seem to want it, because that's where the profit is, dude.]