Ain't it Interesting?

They say the things that most bother us about other people also happen to be the things we like least about ourselves (whether we know it or not).

I used to get irritated everytime I asked my friend what he thought about a topic (a news story, rising gas prices, presidential candidate, the return of Battlestar Galactica, etc.) and he'd reply: "I don't know, I'll have to think about it." Seldom would he ever say what he really thought.

I used to get irritated. Recently I realized that my default reaction is "Interesting," and I say it dozens of times in a day.

"Interesting" is neutral, unoffensive, and just descriptive enough. It's the equivalent of the conversationally polite "fine" we say when someone asks how we are. It's a well-accepted social convention, but if someone really wants to know how we are, then "fine" usually doesn't begin to cover it.

In and of itself, "Interesting" is a fine statement, but I'm starting to recognize my tendency to abuse it. I say it to mask my surprise. I say it when I don't have another response ready. I say it when I don't know how others might judge my comments. I say it when I'm too rushed (or lazy) to access my emotions and identify what I'm really feeling.

And some things are so much more than just "interesting." There are aspects of life that are fascinating, wonderful, amazing. And others aren't very interesting at all.

So I'm going on an "Interesting" diet, to see if I can increase the precision of my communication (and maybe my vocabulary will get a kick-start, too).

If you're aware of your own "conversational defaults" and their impact, feel free to share them!

Here we go!

Hello. I'll be posting here primarily on work-related topics, including leadership, effective interpersonal communications, and personal authenticity.

I believe it's important to be consistent in how we show up at work and how we are in the 'rest' of our lives, so I'll also likely post on things I consider cool and fun, such as Nia (the amazing mind-body health & wellness modality), creativity, inspirational books and music, and the like.

Here's to the adventure ahead...