Dr. John Gottman has been studying couples for four decades. He has dedicated his life to figuring out what separates healthy relationships from unhealthy ones, and he’s written more than 40 books on the subject. This guy knows relationships. Most of his research is primarily focused on romantic relationships, but one of his findings can help you in friendships, too. It relates to something … Read More
The Case For Small Talk
Lots of people tell me, “I hate small talk.” And in truth, small talk can be tiresome sometimes. When you’re discussing a topic you don’t care about, it’s natural to get bored. Small talk can be doubly frustrating when you’ve craving deep interactions. After you’ve experienced true heart-to-heart conversation, how can you go back to discussing the weather? It’s understandable … Read More
Telling Stories in Conversation
Stories put your ability to connect into overdrive. People are wired for storytelling, and the easiest way to someone’s heart is not through their stomach but through storytelling. Unfortunately, it’s easy to tell a story badly. You’ve probably been subject to rambling storytellers that take forever to get to the point — or worse, don’t seem to have a point at … Read More
How To Make Eye Contact
Making good eye contact is tough. Give too much eye contact, and you come across as too intense (at best) or a creepy starer (at worst). Give too little eye contact, and the other person might think you don’t care about what they have to say. Plus, when you’re worrying about making good eye contact, the rest of the interaction … Read More
International Listening Month
So March is international listening month. I’ll admit, the thought of dedicating a month to listening seems a bit silly (and who gets to decide what month is dedicated to what?) But listening is important stuff. It’s easy to think that a conversation is about what we bring to the table. We focus on sharing something that is interesting or … Read More
