You probably have already heard how “Communication is 90% non-verbal,” or a similar adage. Funnily enough, we tend to focus on that 10%, the content of our words way more often than this non-verbal element. In social situations of high importance, such as our professional networking, personal dating, the thought we often have are “what do we say?” This goes against the truth that we already know: “It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”
Johnny Depp has proven his strong limbic system by transmitting feeling to us in his movies.
In Monday’s post we discussed “limbic resonance,” the unspoken connection between life forms that helps us all sync up feelings emotions and actions. Limbic resonance is why yawning is contagious and how geese are able to fly in a synchronized V. Today we will talk about how you can consciously use limbic resonance to your advantage by deliberately transmitting feelings.
Any emotion you have can be felt and experienced in someone else. We know this as “empathy.” You may notice that certain people can make everyone else feel their emotions better than others. These people can show up to a party energized and everyone suddenly feels like dancing. Or they have a bad day and everyone around them feels sad. Those people are known as having “strong limbic systems,” and typically make great actors. Here are some ways you can transmit the right emotion.
- Think about the feeling you want the other person to understand and feel before you speak, not the words. The words will come naturally if you know the emotion you want to convey. The emotion is what matters anyway.
- Imagine the person you are talking to is deaf and doesn’t know sign language. How can you get him or her to feel what you are saying without knowing the words you’re saying? Allow that desired emotion to pour out of you.
- Put your attention out. When we focus on ourselves, we make it impossible to interact with others on the feeling level. Pay close attention to the person you are talking to. What are they feeling? When you feel into them, they can feel into you.