2040’s Ideas and Innovations Newsletter, Issue 65: Behavioral and Inference Data, A 360 Perspective

What You Say Is Very Different From What You Do and How You Act

Issue 65: July 21, 2022

What we say or how we respond publicly is often very different than what we may feel, believe, like or dislike privately. Let’s consider a hypothetical conversation with a friend. She is proudly wearing a new dress that she just purchased. She asks your opinion as she seeks confirmation if the dress makes her look good. She surely thinks it does. You of course don’t want to hurt her feelings. You express that you really like what she is wearing, even though you think the pattern and color look more like a tablecloth or set of curtains. And this may be even though the style is totally on trend; you just can’t get beyond your first reaction.

Here’s a work-related example. In discussion with your work team, you are bored with the items being reviewed, and your mind begins to drift off. You then hear your name and call yourself back to attention. Your teammates are asking if you agree with the approach they want to take to solve the problem. You quickly nod your head…