Report: Thinkers' Club Session 18

Date: 7^th December, 2014

Session # 18

Attended by:  8 participants

Report written by: Fatima Salman

Today was our eighteenth session. First we discussed the questions that are shared on this blog. The question ‘What is the role of tone and facial expressions in our communication?’ was talked about thoroughly. Everyone agreed that our tone has a very important role in our communication. We did a short activity around it. We were asked if we had ever been scolded in our life. Obviously, everyone has been scolded for different reasons many times in their life by their parents, teachers, siblings, etc. Everyone had to recall a phrase or sentence that was said to them when they had been scolded. We had to say that sentence in a harsh tone (or a tone that is used to scold someone) and then say the same sentence in a politer tone. The message perceived is changed just because of the tone! For example if I even call someone by their name in an angry or rude tone, they’d think I’m scolding them, even though I’m just calling out their name. And if I call someone in a soft and polite tone, they wouldn’t feel bad. Whatever you say, affects the listener just because of the tone! 

Facial expressions also affect our communication, but not as much as the tone, which has the most important role in our communication.

Then we talked about ‘What is Confidence’. Everyone suggested their opinions about confidence. These ideas came up:

Confidence is about:

• Believing in yourself
• Doing what we’re doing without caring what others think about us
• Speaking or performing in public

Confidence is mainly about believing in yourself. Many people mistake confidence for Public Speaking. Public Speaking is related to confidence, but they are not the same thing. If a person can speak in public, it is not necessary that he has confidence. We talked about what confidence is and it’s examples for a while.

Then, a last task was given. Each person had to make an ‘I can’ list and an ‘I have’ list. In the ‘I can’ list, you have to list down all the things that you can do. Similarly, in the ‘I have’ list, you have to list down all the things that you have. It can include any thing of any kind. Each list has to have at least ten points or more. 

The members started to make their list in the session, but they have to complete it and bring the complete list in the next session. All the members can do this task, even if they weren't present in the session.

Thank you