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The exceptionally cheesy but absolutely brilliant book FISH! Philosophy really nails the concept of being present. Be There: When people need you, they need al
by Peroni 13y ago
The exceptionally cheesy but absolutely brilliant book FISH! Philosophy really nails the concept of being present.
Be There: When people need you, they need all of you. Setting aside distractions and judgments to be mentally and emotionally present is a sign of respect. It improves communication and strengthens relationships.
In all honesty, it's one of the few snippets of solid advice that has had a profound and noticeable impact on my personal and professional life.
- icebraining 13y agoI agree with that, but it doesn't actually apply to the main situation described by OP, when nobody actually needed him, he was just killing time. It's odd that we bundled it with actually social situations such as having dinner with others.
- salmonellaeater 13y agoHe mentions that emails often end up occupying your mind for 30 minutes after reading them. If you're distracted and mulling over some problem that came from an email, you're not fully present. I'm sure many have noticed this effect from reading email or news before bed. Often if I've been surfing or reading email too close to bedtime, the interesting issues and problems I've read about keep me awake for a long time.
- goblin89 13y agoThe hard part is when someone doesn't really need all of you and themselves is peering at their phone, tablet or whatever. I guess I'm better off avoiding those people.
- Peroni 13y agoI find that the behaviour naturally reciprocates. When you're giving someone your undivided attention, they tend to find it difficult to be distracted without being acutely aware that they are being rude.