As I look around a busy street, people-watching, I sometimes wonder, “What exactly is that person thinking?” and “How do they see the world?”
We’ve lived different lives, seen different things, and surely, even if we live on the same earth, our perspectives differ. That thought itself churns my hidden excitement to pick someone else’s brain.
THE INTROVERT IN ME
As an introvert, I rarely engage in conversations. Even small talk takes much effort and energy from me. But if I do, I prefer thought-provoking topics – deep and meaningful. The unavoidable long pauses in between allow me to converse with my inner self in light of someone else’s perspective. It helps me establish extensive relationships with the people around me.
I instinctively shy away from small talk, though I knowingly understand that all relationships and conversations probably start with one, and I find it rather uncomfortable on my end. I often don’t want to drag it out and probably respond fairly shorter albeit unconsciously. I find first conversations while having a meal manageable though, as there are pauses in between while we alternately chew our food.
I am not good at talking and am obviously more introverted than others. But if I am with my people, then I’d be as chatty as can be with whatever topic I can relate to. I’ve had acquaintances turned friends after so many years realize that I am not that shy after all. Sometimes, they find me funny even. Still, after a long day of silly conversations, I always get exhausted and find myself needing a whole day to recharge my social battery. If you are an introvert like me, you know what I mean. If you are an extrovert, well, think of it as the immense need to go out; otherwise, you’d spend the day so bored and totally unproductive. But then again, those “labels” aren’t that simple and are a topic for another day.
DEEP CONVERSATIONS
Surprisingly, deep conversations never bore me, nor do they make me tired. Probably topics will vary depending on how close we got or what our life’s story is and how we relate to each other. But regardless, I value listening to other people’s thoughts and perspectives. We are all different, and we always interpret the world differently. We don’t need to have the same perspective to live harmoniously, I believe. We can always choose to agree to disagree. Hearing someone else’s idea is a learning process by itself. We get to know and understand each other on a deeper level. In fact, I get to know myself more after a meaningful, non-judgmental, deep conversation with a friend.
EMBRACING OUR THOUGHTS
The universe is massive, and we are merely a speck. Being open to possibilities is one thing, but thinking that what you believe is true is the only truth and what you believe is right is the only way to go is merely laughable, isn’t it? Human beings are complicated, albeit utilizing only a small portion of our brain to process our thoughts. How mighty can it be if we maximize our intuition and embrace our thoughts more?
I am convinced the world is chaotic not because we are all different, but because of our reluctance to accept that we are all different. How can we try to understand another human if we don’t even understand ourselves better?
I find that the best way to get to know ourselves more is by hearing someone else’s thoughts too. You’d get perspectives that were not visible to you before. It brings a sense of wonder and connectedness to the other person and the world around.
Meaningful conversations are a two-way street. You share some; you take some. Talking about small, trivial things isn’t bad at all, but how great would our conversations be if we talk about existence, philosophy, and “how we see the world”?
