I asked a young fella tonight what he thought conversation was for and he said to learn.
I asked learn what? And he replied learn “who to steer clear of!”.
I guess that is one type of learning but I can think of more constructive ways and of things that one can learn from a conversation.
rethink PERFECT 
sounds like your concept it that his way of using conversation isn’t that constructive. Why you do you say that and can you give an example of using conversation more constructively?
Learning to me is different. I consider a more positive approach to learning is being challenged and seeking it out and rewiring our brains to deal with it the challenge. Not to try avoid the challenge. I let people avoid me, the ones that are not interested in a challenging conversation.