The Four Questions

1. What did I expect to happen?

I expected to be disgusted, first off. There are so many times during the day when I replay conversations in my head & I’ll berate myself for saying such dumb things, or for not having a wittier comeback, or explaining myself more clearly. So when I went to watch all the footage (Watch ALL the footage!), I was actually quite impressed with my comments and reactions. That having been said, I also expected a lot more of my conversations to matter. It’s only been a few weeks since I recorded that day, and there have only been two or three snippets of conversations from that day that I can look back on and say, “You know what, I’m glad I discussed that.”

2. What actually happened?

The more I watch/listen to my phrases, the more I am convicted of how cheap my words are. I’ll be talking now, and say a certain phrase or respond a certain way, and just beat myself up over how I could have responded better. Also, my friends are funny. They stuck to relative normality, despite the fact that their every word was recorded.

3. If I did this for a longer period of time, would I change the way I communicate with people?

Absolutely. By recording and reviewing my conversations, I would be more aware of who I talk to, and the interactions I have with them. I would be more intentionally concise with my words, and focus on communicating as effectively as possible. I’ve already begun to notice when I tune people out, or respond in ways that either curtail a conversation, or belittle the person I’m conversing with, and it’s been really convicting. 

4. Would I suggest other people do the same experiment?

Sure… Not that this is the most important or life-altering of the experiments, but it does give a rather clear picture of the content of your daily conversations. More convicting that the content I heard/watched, was the content that was lacking. It was funny, really–I learned more from the people around me–their reactions, their word choice–than I did from the words I said. It was really challenging for me to, after I watched the footage, try to emulate the way my peers converse on a day-to-day basis.