Sometimes it is kinda fun at a dinner party to just sit back and listen to the conversations going on around you. On one side, there may a jousting competition of who gets to talk more, who throws the funniest barb. On another side, there is an earnest discussion of who will go to the World Series this year. Perhaps you tune into the third, where an older person has encouraged a young person to tell them about their new job. They seem to be truly curious and that keeps the hesitant speaker opening up. From the outside, it looks like they both are enjoying the conversation very much.
The other conversations may be equally enjoyable to the participants, but if you are an observer you may not learn much. On the other hand, when you are in a conversation, you can get so caught up in the content, that you don’t notice the dynamics that an outsider sees. I’ve left a party and someone in the car going home made an observation that totally surprises me. What person A said really annoyed Person B. As Person C, it didn’t annoy me and I was so engaged in the topic I missed the reaction. Hmmm. Will damage control take up the next week?
Does it matter? How often do we dismiss what we sense because we just want to enjoy ourselves? That is valid. Maybe it is just a data point to consider for future conversations. If you set an intention for what a great day will be each morning, for the work out you will do when you go to the gym, for when you take the dog out for a walk, might you also set an intention for social interactions?
Would you come away more satisfied, if you did?
Picture: Paul in deep conversation with Bogie.
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