Talking the Talk or something like that
I have been hearing these discussions on talk radio and the news as of late about the lack of civility in the world today. I thought I was doing pretty good in this area. I don't text, I write a real letter almost every week, I call people on the phone, heck, I am even willing to talk to them face to face. I must admit that I do send email and send the occasional blog, but that is normal right?
The other day when I opened my email, I found myself wrapped up in an extremely long conversation. I thought it was strange, one person was sending back responses of how they would like to talk about this in our next meeting, come see me at my desk, or hey, let's meet in the cafe. They did respond to each email, but the conversations were extremely long and wordy. I found myself having to read them over and over again just to make sure I understood what was supposed to be being said. I got confused several time.
The other person was starting their emails off with, I would rather communicate via email, I feel more comfortable relating my message in words, I find that I am able to share my thoughts more powerfully via written words, and stuff like that. I was weird. These conversations were blunt, accusational, and much more. They were extremely long, like small novels, 10 or 12 paragraphs long. It was taking me must longer to read and understand than it would have to just talk over lunch in the cafe.
What touched me was that fact that they were so brutal. It was almost like they were typing things they would not say in person. If we were standing face to face, there would have been innuendos, implications, and stuff like that. These comments were out right rude. I had the feeling that the person writing them was hiding behind the individual email.
I also found myself adding tones, inflections, and other things that I started wondering if were really there. Then I started wondering if I was reading more into the conversation than was really supposed to be there. It was when the two people bantering back and forth decided it was best not to speak/write/communicate with each other for a while, I knew that I was adding the right things; whether they were intended initially or not. By the end, they were.
Be honest, be tactful, talk to each other face to face. You may learn something, about you and the person you are talking to.
The other day when I opened my email, I found myself wrapped up in an extremely long conversation. I thought it was strange, one person was sending back responses of how they would like to talk about this in our next meeting, come see me at my desk, or hey, let's meet in the cafe. They did respond to each email, but the conversations were extremely long and wordy. I found myself having to read them over and over again just to make sure I understood what was supposed to be being said. I got confused several time.
The other person was starting their emails off with, I would rather communicate via email, I feel more comfortable relating my message in words, I find that I am able to share my thoughts more powerfully via written words, and stuff like that. I was weird. These conversations were blunt, accusational, and much more. They were extremely long, like small novels, 10 or 12 paragraphs long. It was taking me must longer to read and understand than it would have to just talk over lunch in the cafe.
What touched me was that fact that they were so brutal. It was almost like they were typing things they would not say in person. If we were standing face to face, there would have been innuendos, implications, and stuff like that. These comments were out right rude. I had the feeling that the person writing them was hiding behind the individual email.
I also found myself adding tones, inflections, and other things that I started wondering if were really there. Then I started wondering if I was reading more into the conversation than was really supposed to be there. It was when the two people bantering back and forth decided it was best not to speak/write/communicate with each other for a while, I knew that I was adding the right things; whether they were intended initially or not. By the end, they were.
Be honest, be tactful, talk to each other face to face. You may learn something, about you and the person you are talking to.
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