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Be Still and Listen
It’s Part of Being a Good Friend
I feel like the “me generation” has become the “me culture.” We simply don’t know how to relate to each other as normal humans anymore. Why? It seems mind-boggling.
Here are a few examples of recent communication failures:
When someone tells you they’re going on a trip, soon, the normal response should be, “Oh, where are you going?” Or, any other response that indicates polite interest. When someone says they wrote a book, the normal response should be, “Oh, what’s your book about?” Or, any other response that indicates polite interest. When someone says they’re dating someone new, the normal response should be, “How is it going?” Or, any other response that indicates polite interest. Variations of these responses are okay, too. But lately, it seems like the “normal” responses are totally absent.
People tend to consistently focus only on themselves, or abruptly change the topic to something they’re more interested in. I’m not sure when this changed, or how, or why. But it’s driving me crazy — because it makes it very hard to have a conversation when there is no back and forth, no give and take, and an absence of showing interest in the person who is attempting to share.
And for some of us introverts, sharing with others takes an effort. And it’s actually…
