For this blog I watched a show called "Happy Endings". First I found it very difficult to watch without sound. I could not concentrate on the program without the sound, I kept looking away, looking outside at my dogs, and everywhere but the tv. I needed to really think about what I was doing to be able to watch.
While watching the show without sound, the characters seemed to be friends that worked together, but by watching their facial expressions and body language they didn't all seem to like each other and they were sarcastic and patronized each other. Their facial expressions were not nice and there seemed to be certain characters in charge of the group, of they led the group.
When I watched the show with the sound my assumptions were partially right. They were being sarcastic to each other but they cared for one another. Their facial expressions were more for teasing each other than being mean. There wasn't a leader in the group just some of the characters were more prominent than others. Their body language expressed what they were saying most of the time, other times they were being sarcastic.
I found this assignment interesting. I realized that paying attention to someone or something even without sound is more important than I thought. I found that I seem to listen without looking. My A-HA moment is, I thought back to my professional life and discovered that I tend to look at other things while having a conversation. I multi-task too often and I need to be look at people when we talk. This is an area of my communication that I really need to work on. When I was young I didn't trust people that didn't look at me when they spoke. I don't want to be viewed that way, I am going to be very conscious of my future conversations with others.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteInteresting Post! Its most interesting to realize that we need the verbal to support the non verbal to make accurate sense of what is received when we listen attentively.
Like you, discipline kept me from turning on the volume, it was difficult to do.
Hi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteAs a Hispanic, I understand what you are saying about people looking at you when you speak. I was raised to think it was disrespectful not to look at someone when they are speaking. It is only through the readings that I have found out that culture plays a big role in this. Some cultures do not like to stare at someone else in the face because this would be completely contrary to what we think, they view this behavior as disrespect.
Lisa, that is a good A-Ha moment! I have come across many people in my personal and, professional life that look away during conversations. I never thought that they may have been prone to multitasking and, were searching for what else they should be doing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI too found it hard to concentrate on the tv show without sound. I reached once to turn up the volume without thinking.
Sarcasm was indeed difficult to detect with the sound off.