Every interaction is a training session where you teach people how to treat you
It starts well before you give anyone the opportunity to greet you
Your posture, your smile or the lack thereof, indicate at a distance
Your general mood and attitude and the likelihood of resistance
Then, of course, there’s your dress and you cleanliness and your general demeanor
And your eye contact, whether you’re looking back, or the sparkle that could be a bit keener
It’s really all there before you utter a word, but then you open your mouth
And your accent betrays where you may be from, east, west or north or south
People know if you will be respectful of people other than your self
Simply by the way that you treat strangers you meet and whether you are willing to help
They decide if you are worthy of trust, well before you have ever spoken
And nothing you can say will change their minds after your mouth has been opened
In fact, just the opposite is likely to happen, everything you say will confirm
The biases and prejudices they have already formed and will only make them more firm
You’re better off not talking at all, especially if you have nothing to say
For with idle chit-chat, you will only confirm, what has already been conveyed
The strength of your grip, if you’re quick with a quip, these are just more data
That help them decide, what you’re like inside, if you’re worth talking to again later
So before you’ve spoken a solitary word, you’ve already convinced a stranger
Even though you’ve just met, whether your mind is set, and if you represent danger
Photo by Budka Damdinsuren via unsplash.com
