Why Purposeful Discussions are a Human Imperative
I recently had a meeting in the City of London with a group of executives – the interesting fact was when I left the boardroom, there was this picture on the wall with the words:
‘Do more things that make you forget to check your phone’
The facts, do we actually have time for our most precious relationships, do we give the time to build lasting relationships around trust and values or do we constantly feel we can always do better with the latest api or technology app?
Let’s face it: Technology is everywhere, but the more we depend on it, and the more we use it when we don’t really need it, the harder it becomes to create meaningful relationships — and sometimes, it actually makes things more difficult.
A recent video interview with Martin Lucas, CEO of Mastermindset, challenges discussion and debate with Geoff Hudson-Searle across the meaning of human interaction, why we need a purpose driven life and Geoff's new book 'Purposeful Discussions'Why Purposeful Discussions are a Human Imperative
The facts, do we actually have time for our most precious relationships, do we give the time to build lasting relationships around trust and values or do we constantly feel we can always do better with the latest api or technology app?
Let’s face it: Technology is everywhere, but the more we depend on it, and the more we use it when we don’t really need it, the harder it becomes to create meaningful relationships — and sometimes, it actually makes things more difficult.
Final thought….. If you use your phone less, you’ll end up with more free time. Much of this will be in small chunks, such as when you are in the elevator, waiting in line of on the train. These can be great opportunities to take a deep breath and just do nothing (which can be a surprisingly relaxing and restorative experience).
You’re also likely to find yourself with longer periods of time to fill. In order to keep yourself from reverting to your phone to entertain you, it’s essential that you decide on several activities you would like to use this time for and then set up your environment to make it more likely that you will stick to these intentions.
For example, if you say you want to read more, put a book on your coffee table, so when you flop down on the couch at the end of a long day, your book will be within eyesight and reach. If you want to practice playing music, take your instrument out of its case and prop it up in the hall, where it will be easy to grab when you have a few spare moments. If you want to spend more time in mindfulness take the time to schedule time for meditation and practice it daily. If you want to spend more time with your family or a particular friend, make plans to do so and put your phone in your pocket or bag for the duration of your time together. Smartphones are habit-forming, so think about the habits you want to form.
As American author Regina Brett once said:
“Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation? When everyone wasn’t looking down at a device in their hands? We’ve become so focused on that tiny screen that we forget the big picture, the people right in front of us.”
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Comments
Geoff Hudson-Searle
4 years ago #9
Great to have your inputs John, love your view on the use of electronics and how you spend your time on media.
Geoff Hudson-Searle
4 years ago #8
Hi Jerry, absolutely focus, I called into minutes at a board meeting that the executive board must keep their devices on silent and not used whilst in meeting, definitely the correct decision.
Geoff Hudson-Searle
4 years ago #7
Hi Franci, your time and place and idiom, really resonates with why we should have more balance in our lives, real meaningful conversations require real people and quality time.
Geoff Hudson-Searle
4 years ago #6
Absolutely, generally, loneliness is a negative condition resulting from a state of aloneness. People who desire more interpersonal relationships than they actually have can develop feelings of loneliness. How much social connectedness a person needs influences how much aloneness they can tolerate. However, it is not the number of social relationships that determines whether people feel lonely. Rather, it is the emotional and cognitive reactions the individual experiences in relation to these connections that plays a role in experiencing loneliness. For example, social interactions where an individual feels the following are associated with loneliness
Jerry Fletcher
4 years ago #5
John Rylance
4 years ago #4
Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris
4 years ago #3
Geoff Hudson-Searle
4 years ago #2
I could not agree more Ali \ud83d\udc1d Anani, Brand Ambassador @beBee in our advanced digital age, one of the prevalent concerns regarding the increasing emergence of loneliness is how we have become less caring of others. At one time, our very survival depended on trusting and supportive relationships. Fundamentally, it doesn’t matter how technologically sophisticated we become; emotional connectivity remains a core part of being human. We need each other--maybe not in the ways that characterised us evolutionarily, but for a need that remains essential for psychological survival
Ali Anani
4 years ago #1