We’ve all been there.

The conversation may be uncomfortable.

Personal.

Probing.

We’re creatures – and creatures of habit – after all, and once upon a time, we were forced to use more than our mouths to get our messages across.

Our bodies spoke for our minds.

While modern man has the freedom and facilities of speech, there are still many physical hints that are in effect, a nod – pardon the pun – to our primitive past.

One of the most obvious ways to engage – and be engaged – with a fellow human is through the eyes.

One of the most basic, age-old and respectful forms of good manners is to simply look directly into the eyes of the person with whom you’re speaking.

But be careful – your gaze is powerful. With a mere thought, it can convey agreement, disagreement, love, lust, hate or anger.

Staring is never a good thing – for either side of the communication process. Unless, of course, you’re taking a microsleep at your computer.

To ensure you’re not communicating an unintended message, tie a thought to your message or the message you are hearing.

What type of thought you attach to your message is entirely dependent upon your role in conveying the message. You may be reporting breaking world news, or conveying empathy – for example:

“Arnott’s Biscuits today announced their popular Tim-Tam chocolate biscuit range will cease production.”
“Are you saying that there will never be another Tim-Tam produced in the world??”
(Thought: What is life going to be like without Tim-Tams…??!!)

Make your peepers part of the medium of communication and get ready to watch the world blink back.

Photo: Courtesy of beMojostock Photography