Quality Interaction Standards

Input filters and time protection

To maintain our mental health and the quality of our lives, it is imperative to set rigorous standards for who we interact with and how we interact. Not every invitation to converse is worth accepting.

Before investing time in an interaction, we should eva luate whether the other person meets three basic criteria: Openness, Receptivity and Valuing.

Is this person really open to an exchange, or is he/she closed in his/her own bubble? Is he/she receptive to what I have to say, or is he/she just waiting for his/her turn to speak? Does he/she value my perspective, or does he/she see me as an object to unload his/her discourse?

If we detect that someone does not meet these standards ;for example, someone who corners us to give a rambling monologue about their obsessions without registering our presence; we have the right and responsibility to withdraw.

Continuing in an interaction where there is no mutual respect or real exchange is a form of self-loathing.

Setting these boundaries is not cruelty, it is wise management of our most finite resource: time.

By filtering out low-quality interactions, we preserve our energy for those relationships where there is true reciprocity.

Personal commitment to communicative excellence

Just as we demand standards from others, we must apply a strict code of conduct to ourselves in order to be worthy of others' attention.

This code is based on three pillars: Availability, Awareness and Attention. "Availability" means emptying the mind of distractions and being mentally present for each other, not just physically. It involves putting down the phone and multitasking.

"Awareness" refers to monitoring both what the other is saying and our own internal reactions, making sure we are not filtering information through personal biases.

The third pillar, "Attention," is the act of focusing all of our senses on the person in front of us, listening to both their words and their silences.

By committing ourselves to offering these three gifts, we become valued and trusted interlocutors.

People know when they are being given real attention and respond with trust and openness.

Adopting these standards transforms our relationships, as we move from being passive or distracted listeners to becoming active participants who honor the dignity of the speaker.

Being the kind of person we want to encounter in the world begins by embodying these qualities in every talk.

SUMMARY

We must protect our energy by applying filters to our interactions, participating only when we perceive openness, receptivity and real appreciation on the part of the other, and withdrawing when this does not occur.

Simultaneously, it is our duty to offer communicative excellence through total availability, moment-to-moment awareness and mindfulness, avoiding internal and external distractions when listening.

By raising our standards both for choosing dialogue partners and for our own behavior, we cultivate an environment of mutual respect and trust that deepens the quality of our relationships.