| < | > | archives • main |
| < | > | archives • main |
|
Partial Attention My favorite, though, was that we now live in an age of what a Microsoft researcher, Linda Stone, called continuous partial attention. I love that phrase. It means that while you are answering your e-mail and talking to your kid, your cell phone rings and you have a conversation. You are now involved in a continuous flow of interactions in which you can only partially concentrate on each. -Thomas Friedman These words struck a chord with me on Saturday. As a person who's always multi-processing, I've often wondered if I don't listen wholeheartedly enough. I took a class on Theories of Personality class last year and I remember learning about Carl Rogers and how he listened to each patient with full attention. He emphasized empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard for his clients. The has a reputation for fully concentrating on the patient. That level of attention is so rare. Most people listen half the time and even when they are listening, they don't entirely hear what the other person is saying. They are busy thinking "what does this mean to me" or they are making a list of their daily to-dos. We do hold several conversations simultaneously. We do write email as we speak. We do interrupt conversations as the cell phone rings or as the beeper goes off. I am personally guilty of simultaneously executing several processes in my brain. I am almost always doing something else while I talk on the phone. I write email as I watch TV. Even if I don't answer my cell, I certainly glance at the screen to see who it is. Some of that doesn't bother me too much. Some conversations don't need my full attention. Nor do some emails. But then there are those who do. The question is, am I able to tell the difference each time? When I'm in the same room with a person, I can tell when the conversation shifts from being superficial to substantial. I can tell if the person is upset or is seeking someone with whom to converse. It's much harder over the phone, especially the cell phone, which can catch me at any moment, in any location. Is it better that I am not accessible at all or that I am there but not able to fully focus on the conversation at hand? Before technology, if my friend was feeling upset and wanted to talk, she couldn't even find me. Now she can but she runs the chance of having partial attention. What's worse? I strongly believe in the power of full attention. Next time someone comes to you for advice or an ear, try dropping everything you do and listening them. Fully. See if you can tell the difference. |
| ©2005 karenika.com |