Zen moodiness

It’s not all about what we see. It’s not all about what we intend.

Everything is about everything.

We intend to behave in a certain way around people, but that intent is lost in the way that we actually behave. Nuances of expression, body language, the words used all conspire to give a different impression than that which we intended. Add to this the other person’s interpretations of these, which is based on how they’re feeling, your previous interactions with them, their previous interactions with other people, ad infinitum, then throw in our regular inability to clearly express what we’re feeling and I’m left wondering how we ever communicate effectively at all.

All we can hope to achieve is a level of self-awareness, understanding and empathy that will enable us to consciously shape our interactions with others.