Photography And Half-Thoughts By Mitchell Hegman

...because some of it is pretty and some of it is not.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

An Insincerity


The other day, I noticed a certain insincerity about myself.  I bumped into someone I have not seen for a while and said this: “How are things going for you?”
I know that this is a common if not perfunctory greeting.  But in this case—and such is often the case—I found myself uninterested as the person I had chanced to see verbally listed the various items about their present life they felt defined how things are going.
I didn’t really listen.
Instead, my mind wandered off to a corner and leaned against the wall picking at peeling paint chips.
Once my acquaintance finished speaking, I tossed out a couple of meaningless details about my life at present, not acknowledging anything he had said.
Only after we parted did I question my own behavior.
What kind of behavior is this?  Would it hurt me to really listen?  Am I too busy for authenticity?  Did my acquaintance notice my disingenuousness?  What might I have gained from a sincere exchange?
I suppose the only way to answer my questions is to try a little sincerity at the next opportunity.

--Mitchell Hegman

2 comments:

  1. I can totally relate to your story as I tend to do the same thing. I would especially tune out those who mostly like to brag and repeatedly, like a broken record. But like you I eventually get conscienticized by my behavior. So I try harder not to tune people out. Sometimes I'm able to do it but there have been times when disgust would triumph over determination. I'm just human but I do try to be more loving and patient. What can I say, I'm both my own best friend and my own worst enemy.

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  2. Well said, Ariel. I suspect most of us share common behavior in this regard. But I have gotten worse about it. I am going to try to do better in the future.

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