Follow The Pen, Follow The Clock

I’m fascinated by the things in life that will never lie to you.
Dogs and children and nature and mirrors and dumbbells and thermometers and bank accounts and human bodies, these are humanity’s greatest reference points, the givers of perspective, the beacons of truth we can always turn to.
Especially in moments of uncertainty.
When you’re sitting across the table from a person who can potentially hire or buy or date or join or whatever verb will cause your relationship to move to the desired level, you’re always on the lookout for signals. Unconscious indicators of interest. Personal tells in the poker game of human interaction.
And there are millions of varieties, but here are my two favorites:
If the person you’re talking to starts taking notes, congratulations. It’s a silent compliment of the highest order. Taking notes is proof of interest, attention and message reception. It shows that what you’re saying is worth capturing, considering, saving and revisiting. And that the other person might take action on something you said. After all, if you don’t write it down, it never happened, right? Right?
If the person you’re talking to checks the time and the conversation doesn’t end, congratulations. Time is the most valuable asset people don’t own. The story they tell themselves about time is the overriding narrative of their day-to-day lives. And if they weren’t interested in deepening the relationship, they would’ve ended the meeting by now. After all, nobody has time for anything or anyone anymore, right? Right?
Follow the pen, follow the clock.
They will never lie to you.