“I hate people”
Last week I was running errands. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the music was cranked up, my sunroof was open, and I was in great spirits. At one of my stops I pulled into a parking spot next to an awesome looking Jeep. As I got out of my car, I couldn’t help but admire the Jeep. As I continued on my way, my eye was drawn to the Jeep’s rear tire cover illustration depicting a beautiful sunset hovering over a mountain range above a makeshift campsite. In a quick scan, my eye was subtly drawn to the words “I hate people,” that were casually and quietly embedded into the illustration. (Refer to this week’s newsletter image for a visual aid). It bothered me.
I’m all for free speech but I think it bothered me because there was so much truth pouring out of that image. In some ways, the illustration expressed exactly what data reveals about the state of the human exchange at this point in our history. The illustration looked good on the surface, but when I looked deeper, there was hate, which is an indicator that things are “unwell.” I equate the hate to misunderstanding and miscommunication, which means there’s a serious empathy depletion out there.
Here are some quick statistics according to the U.S. Government:
Public health crisis: Epidemic of loneliness and isolation. About one year ago, the U.S. Surgeon General issued this alert, stating people reported serious symptoms of loneliness way before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic
Half (50%) of adults ages 18-24 reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023
Anxiety is the most commonly reported mental illness among U.S. adults, with nearly 1 in 5 (19.1%) affected
1 in 6 kids ages six to 17 in the U.S. experience a mental health disorder. Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among all U.S. children ages 10 to 14.
There is also a plethora of neurodivergence that people live with on a daily basis like ADD, dyslexia, autism, etc. We have a heated political climate breeding division and diminishing trust hour-by-hour, and a society that is more reliant on technology than we’ve ever seen in the history of existence.
According to research company, Exploding Topics Data:
The average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes looking at a screen each day
Gen Z averages around 9 hours of screen time per day
Don’t you wonder what we did with our time before the birth of the iPhone?
A study published in the National Library of Medicine reports:
A growing body of literature is associating excessive and addictive use of digital media with physical, psychological, social and neurological adverse consequences. Physical health effects: excessive screen time is associated with poor sleep and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, obesity, low HDL cholesterol, poor stress regulation (high sympathetic arousal and cortisol dysregulation), and Insulin Resistance.
You see, I don’t hate people. I’m here to help people. In fact, we all are. We live longer when we are equipped to properly exchange in the genuine human experience, so that we can assemble as “We the People,” in commUNITY.
It starts and ends with our communication skills but first we must be conscious. Consciousness leads to self-awareness. Once we are able to analyze what we’re saying, doing, and how we’re presenting to others, only then can we begin to practice Mindfully Speaking, which leads to community, our lead reason for survival.
Again, I’m all for free speech, but at Anna Michele Communications, we go below the surface to encourage self-awareness so that we can become the best versions of ourselves. We want to work with leaders and teams who want to help turn things around not only in their organizations, but in our world.
Let’s relationship build. Let’s close these communication gaps. Let’s understand the fundamentals of emotional intelligence, like empathy and self-awareness, so that we can become more understanding in the genuine human exchange.
Don’t forget to register here for an upcoming AMC speaking event hosted by leadership organization, Inforum, on Tuesday, June 4. The talk is titled: “Reinvigorating the Genuine”: A discussion about trust, communication, and the human exchange.
Gratefully, this will be AMC’s third time working with this professional and innovative leadership organization. I’m also looking forward to collaborating at this event with mindfulness professional and cherished colleague, Brooke Saffire. We hope to see you there!
This spring and summer AMC is on tour. We want to present our interactive learning lab experiences to business leaders like you.
Send me an email today so we can set a date and start planning a meaningful experience. Together, let’s create and foster empathetic, resilient, and innovative professional communities, Mindfully Speaking.
I look forward to our good work together. Sending gratitude & presence to you.
If you liked today’s newsletter, send it to a friend!
Mindfully Speaking,
Anna Michele Bulszewicz
Founder, Anna Michele Communications