There’s been a lot of hubbub about a recent study on the relationship between men’s facial expressions and their attractiveness to women.  According to the study, when presented with photos of smiling and brooding men, the female test subjects said they were more attracted to the unhappy-looking men than to the happy-looking ones.
Not surprisingly, lots [...]

It’s not just a line from the Alan Parsons Project — it’s the truth.
I know how you’re feeling and what your intentions are.  What’s more, everyone else does too.  Human beings are extremely empathic creatures.
I’m exaggerating a little — sometimes you can trick people into buying your facade.  But much of the time, when you [...]

Earlier in this series, I wrote about how we can stay attentive and compassionate even when we’re listening to an angry or critical person.  In this piece, I’ll offer another perspective that’s useful to keep in mind in emotionally charged interactions.  The perspective is this:  there are no rules for what you “must” or “should” do.  [...]

My last post in this series was about staying receptive and curious when we’re listening, even in the face of a “difficult conversation” or a lot of emotional intensity.  On the same issue, a few commenters on Part One said they sometimes find themselves feeling exploited and resentful when they’re listening to someone.
I suspect you, like [...]

My last post was about empathic reflection—the practice of reflecting back the desires and emotions of the person you’re listening to.  While this may sound simple, it’s trickier than it sounds.  When an interaction starts to feel emotionally intense, it’s easy to fall back into old, reactive patterns of thinking and behaving.  If someone is [...]