May you live as long as you want and not want as long as you live.

If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. It’s the hard that makes it great.

A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown.

I think it’s better to feel good than to look good.

If you’re funny, if there’s something that makes you laugh, then every day’s going to be okay.

Never give up because you never know what the tide will bring in the next day.

The actual work requires the same discipline and passion as any job you love doing, be it as a very good pipe fitter or a highly creative artist.

From now on we live in a world where man has walked on the Moon. It’s not a miracle; we just decided to go.

I try to do what I call the three E’s — educate, entertain, and enlighten.

There’s a difference between solitude and loneliness. I can understand the concept of being a monk for a while.

Some people go to bed at night thinking, ‘That was a good day.’ I am one of those who worries and asks, ‘How did I screw up today?’

I want to have a good time myself. I don’t want to dread going to work no matter what the gig is.

It’s always a combination of physics and poetry that I find inspiring. It’s hard to wrap your head around things like the Hubble scope.

Movie-making is telling a story with the best technology at your disposal.

The best Tom Hanks quotes so you can bring authenticity and passion into your life by chasing your dreams. (LEARN)

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

movies

Movies & Shows

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

Tom Hanks Quotes About Life

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered what is perhaps the most famous speech in American history. The speech, "I have a dream," was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, and stands as the ideal of what public speaking should be.

The top American speech of the 20th century

<ul><li>The masterly use of repetition. King uses this technique throughout his speech. “One hundred years later…,” “now is the time…,” “we can never be satisfied…,” “I have a dream…” </li><li>The use of tone. Throughout his speech, his passion is so evident that it feels almost tangible. He evokes a strong, active, commanding voice, using such verbs as must, cannot, and can never.</li><li>Storytelling. When King begins with the phrase “I have a dream…” he is painting a picture. He is visualizing what life would be like for African Americans if the Civil Rights movement were won.</li></ul>

The hallmarks of every great speech

Martin Luther King's famous public speech is the epitome of how to deliver a great talk. Here is what we can learn from him.

communication

Communication

Lessons From History: MLK Jr.'s I Have a Dream

<ul>
<li>People are more connected, digitally, than ever. Yet loneliness is epidemic.</li>
<li>Combat loneliness by listening to others without distraction.</li>
<li>Elevate your small-talk skills by embracing authentic curiosity.</li>
<li>Having productive conversations about uncomfortable topics requires empathy. Show appreciation and gratitude.</li>
<li>Become a better digital communicator by focusing on your intent.</li>
<li>People will still seek out the human connection in the post-pandemic world.</li>
<li>Strengthen your connections by expressing vulnerability.</li>
</ul>

Key Takeaways

US surgeon general Vivek Murthy describes five forms of being alone – the first four of which can damage your mental and physical health:
<ul>
<li>Intimate loneliness – You long for someone in whom you can confide or an intimate partner.</li>
<li>Relational loneliness – You yearn for quality social companions and friendships.</li>
<li>Collective loneliness – You feel you lack a community of like-minded individuals.</li>
<li>Isolation – You’re physically alone.</li>
<li>Solitude – Unlike the first four states of being, solitude is a peaceful state of voluntary isolation, often for the purpose of self-reflection.</li>
</ul>

The Five Forms Of Being Alone

Healthy relationships generate a slew of positive benefits. Research shows, for example, that doubling your number of friends boosts your well-being as much as increasing your income by 50%. But despite humanity’s need for connection, people everywhere are experiencing increased loneliness. In 2018, 22% of American adults reported that they often or always felt isolated or lonely. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has sent such feelings into overdrive..

The Importance Of Healthy Relationships

Digital forms of communication abound, but social connection platforms can actually exacerbate feelings of loneliness. For example, people who passively scroll and post status updates on Facebook – as opposed to engaging with others via comments – actually feel more isolated

Connected Yet Isolated

You can overcome your feelings of loneliness by cultivating stronger listening skills, which allow you to better connect with others. 
People can be bad listeners for many reasons: They’re busy formulating responses while the other person is still talking, or they have an intense emotional reaction to something someone is saying. They might be impatient with the speed with which the other person is conveying information. Or their smartphones distract them.

Combat Loneliness by Listening to Others Without Distraction

Slow down and be intentional with your focus. Put away your devices. Don’t force a conversation to follow your own agenda. Instead, try asking open-ended questions, letting others direct the flow of the conversation.

Cultivate Stronger Listening Skills: Beat Distraction

You aren’t really listening if you’re busy predicting what someone is going to say next.When people repeat phrases or words, they’re often revealing their primary focus, which is valuable information.

Listening With Awareness

When people express intense emotions, avoid the impulse to react emotionally too. Instead, ask neutral questions like what makes the issue so important to them.Spark your curiosity instead of falling in the emotional roller coaster.

Let Emotions Spark Your Curiosity

<ul>
<li>Use your eyes – To better understand others, pay attention to body language clues, such as your conversation partner protectively crossing his or her arms.</li>
<li>Embrace a “beginner’s mind” – Remain open-minded, letting go of any assumptions of your own expertise.</li>
<li>Ask the right questions – People view others as strong listeners when they ask thoughtful questions. Good questions typically use the words “what” and “how.”</li>
</ul>

Tips For Better Listening

Build stronger social ties by cultivating curiosity about others. Research shows that people feel closer to conversation partners who express curiosity. They also view such individuals as more attractive. Curious people care about what’s happening around them and genuinely want to hear people’s stories. They have an open-minded approach to listening, which makes them appear more trustworthy.

Elevate Your Small-Talk Skills

People often conceal their true feelings from others when performing social roles. For example, when making a sales pitch, you might pretend to be confident when you’re actually feeling insecure. Yet a willingness to show others your authentic self is the bedrock of healthy relationships. You might assume that displaying vulnerability will cause others to view you as weak, but the reverse is true: Research shows that people like individuals who display vulnerability better than those who don’t.

Expressing Vulnerability

Ask yourself why you want to tell a story. Are you hoping to entertain, enlighten, persuade or give information to your listeners? Think about your audience’s concerns and priorities, and how your story could service those needs.

Reflect On The Purpose Of Your Storytelling

<ul>
<li>Share a secret or unexpected truth – Revealing something unexpected about yourself (provided you’re not oversharing with the wrong people) can intrigue your listeners.</li>
<li>Include vivid details – Improve your storytelling skills by sharing the details of what you could hear, see, taste, touch and smell.</li>
</ul>

Tips To Show Vulnerbility

<ul>
<li>Share a transformational truth – If you want people to celebrate your success with you, then share the struggles and moments of conflict you faced before reaching your goal.</li>
<li>Establish your credibility – People are attracted to credible people who display vulnerability, but they’re repelled by those they perceive as lacking in competence.</li>
<li>Be genuine – People can tell when you’re trying to manipulate them with contrived stories about your vulnerable moments.</li>
</ul>

Being Vulnerable: Establish Your Crediblility By Sharing Truth

Use these strategies to minimize unproductive conflicts, navigate uncomfortable conversations and build empathy with others:
<ul>
<li>Practice – Spend a moment trying to take someone else’s perspective. Imagine how you’d feel if you were in another person’s situation.</li>
<li>Challenge yourself – Try to imagine how a person with views opposed to your own, such as someone with differing political beliefs, might feel about the situation or subject matter under discussion.</li>
<li>Recognize your biases – Everyone has unconscious biases, which can prevent people from empathizing with others.</li>
</ul>

Minimize Conflicts

<ul><li>If you want to strengthen your bonds with others, approach conversations with a spirit </li><li>of generosity and gratitude. Take time to show others you appreciate them by making them “feel famous.” </li><li>You see them and are grateful for their presence and contributions to the world.</li><li>A spirit of generous gratitude could completely transform the way you interact with the people in your life, if you let it.</li></ul>

Show Appreciation and Gratitude

<ul>
<li>Take notes – Jot down notes about new people you meet. Refer to your notes before you see them next.</li>
<li>Give people access to you – To build trust with others and make them feel valued, share something with them that you don’t share with everybody you meet.</li>
<li>Praise them – Pay people specific compliments about things they’ve done. Note concrete ways their actions positively affected you or others.</li>
<li>Celebrate milestones – Create unforgettable experiences for people to help them celebrate their milestone moments.</li>
</ul>

Tips To Make Others Feel Better

Focus on other people’s faces when they tell you their names. To further cement a name in your memory, ask a question about the name, such as how to spell it. Or make a connection between the name and something/someone else. You can also try using a person’s name in conversation.

Remember Names

<ul>
<li>Use emojis when appropriate – Basic icons, such as thumbs-up symbols and smiley faces, help the recipient of a text-based message understand your desired tone.</li>
<li>Describe your emotions in video and voice calls – Use words to convey specific emotions. </li>
<li>Be energetic – People will find you more sincere if you communicate energetically than when you speak monotonously.</li>
<li>Don’t stare at your self-view – When you’re having video calls, hide the window displaying your own face to avoid feeling self-conscious and distracting yourself.</li>
</ul>

Become a Better Digital Communicator by Focusing on Your Intent.

Make a video of yourself reading something you’ve prepared, and watch it. Reflect on your performance, particularly on your effectiveness in conveying emotions. Make adjustments as necessary before attempting a live video call.

Record Yourself

When the pandemic ends, people will likely hug their friends again and greet one another physically. In the meantime, people will continue to find new ways to connect digitally, such as using virtual “buddy check-in” systems to help manage feelings of isolation.

Connection Styles

The future workplace is hybrid, with people working both from home and in offices. Leaders will need to proactively work to help their teams feel a sense of community and social connection.

Relationships First

A new age look at communication and relationships

You are one conversation away from changing your life. We all crave connection. We were never meant to live alone or communicate only in "likes" and retweets. In Every Conversation Counts, TV host and human connection keynote speaker Riaz Meghji digs deep into the dangers of isolation and loneliness, our social pandemic, that have been brought into sharp relief by the coronavirus crisis. He tackles a uniquely modern question: why are we so connected, and yet so alone--and how can we reconnect? Sharing personal insights from powerful interviews and years of on-air experience, Meghji offers 5 simple habits for building extraordinary relationships. He explains how to spark authentic conversations, win trust, create new business, and collaborate effectively. Meghji points a way forward to a better future--one in which we express genuine curiosity about others, listen with our whole hearts, show up as our authentic selves, and make every conversation count.

career

Career

habits

Habits

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

books

Books

You are one conversation away from changing your life. We all crave connection. We were never meant to live alone or communicate only in "likes" and retweets. In Every Conversation Counts, TV host and human connection keynote speaker Riaz Meghji digs deep into the dangers of isolation and loneliness, our social pandemic, that have been brought into sharp relief by the coronavirus crisis. He tackles a uniquely modern question: why are we so connected, and yet so alone--and how can we reconnect? Sharing personal insights from powerful interviews and years of on-air experience, Meghji offers 5 simple habits for building extraordinary relationships. He explains how to spark authentic conversations, win trust, create new business, and collaborate effectively. Meghji points a way forward to a better future--one in which we express genuine curiosity about others, listen with our whole hearts, show up as our authentic selves, and make every conversation count.

Riaz Meghji

Every Conversation Counts

<ul>
<li>Saying that phrase makes the other person feel like they're not worth a little extra effort on your part to make their name stick</li>
<li>The phrase reeks of arrogance because they're trying to get to know your name while you're not</li>
<li>It immediately makes the conversation about you and your goldfish-like memory</li>
<li>You're trying to absolve yourself from the responsibility of learning other people's names</li>
</ul>

Stop saying you're bad at names

The moment the other person says their name, make sure to say it back to them because it will show you as a thoughtful person, but of course don't say their name for every response.
Saying a name back to someone is helpful most especially when someone has a unique name that you don't encounter everyday. However, make sure to ask for the correct pronunciation right away so that it won't be awkward the next time you meet.

Say the name back

When meeting a new person, sometimes it can be really hard to remember their names however a caveat to this could be to try and associate them with something, but of course don't tell them what's going on in your head while you're making an association.
In order to make the association sick, try to make it as crazy as possible.

Make associations in your head

When the conversation starts to wrap up, say the other person's name again and look them in the eye while doing so.
For example: The conversation is nearing to an end, both people say their goodbyes and shakes hands as they start to part their ways. Mario reaches his hand out for a handshake and says "Paula, it's been nice meeting you, and I hope to see you again." Paula is delighted that Mario still remembers her name and replies "Mario, I had a wonderful time. Let's meet again."

Say the name slowly and intentionally

Although it might feel terrifying, when you forget someone's name, it's much more shameful to mistakenly call them with a different name. Asking the other person for their name again means that you're trying to do better by that person. Name = Apology + Detail about the other person + Permission to know their name again
An effective formula for asking for their name again and apologize goes like this: "Gosh, I am so sorry. I was so shocked to find out that you were also a fan of this sports team and it's rare to find fans like us in this area. Can you please tell me your name again?"

Don't be afraid to ask again

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

teamwork

Teamwork

How to remember people's names

Gratitude is a seed that produces many new things to be grateful for.
Sending regular thank you notes to our loved ones, peers, service partners, employees and clients is priceless, especially if they are personally handwritten with love.
A few lines of gratitude can go miles, meaning a lot to the recipient. It may even become a lifetime memory for them.

Daily Gratitude: A Simple Thank You Note

A daily thank you note to people we are grateful to may seem like a chore, but if done sincerely, it can be a magic wand of our lives.
Sending a quick thank you on a Whatsapp message will be read and forgotten, but if it is handwritten on a beautiful greeting card, it will be cherished forever, and become a part of them.

Being Sincere In Gratitude

<ol>
<li>Focus on the person you are grateful to, understanding their contribution to your life. It may be a gift you got, or the excellent service of your doctor, or even that good guy who found your smartphone and returned it to you.</li>
<li>Mention the reason you are grateful so that they know you have got their gift.</li>
<li>Mention how the gift is improving your life. If you didn’t like it, don’t mention that or ask for something in exchange!</li>
<li>If you have failed to thank the person in the past, mention how important they are to your life.</li>
<li>Try not to make jokes if you don’t know the person very well, as the written word can be misinterpreted.</li>
<li>Keep it short and simple.</li>
<li>Try making a spreadsheet of people you want to thank, along with the reasons you want to do so. </li>
<li>Write as many thank you notes as possible, and see how your life changes.</li>
</ol>

Tips For Writing A Perfect Thank You Note

John Kralik decided he needed a daily dose of gratitude, so he made a New Year's resolution to write one thank you note a day for an entire year. He wrote to family, friends, co-workers, and even his Starbucks barista — and shares what he learned in his book, 365 Thank Yous.

writing

Reading & Writing

Perfect Thank You Notes: Heartfelt And Handwritten

Many candidates going for an interview need to prepare for common questions that may be difficult or tricky, just to present themselves as an ideal person for the job.
It is good to know what is a strong, favourable response which the hiring managers and HR professionals might be expecting to hear.

Tough Interview Questions

Tell me about a professional experience where your integrity or moral code was challenged?
This behavioural interview question asks for a quick case study, and the answer depends on the role you are interviewing for. An HR manager, who is judging you for your past behaviour, maybe looking for an honest and open candidate who can tell a story about their past experience professionally.

Interview Question About Integrity Or Moral Code

Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a challenging or difficult personality at work?
Here the hiring manager is checking your communication/interpersonal skills, and how you navigate a relationship with a difficult coworker in a respectful manner. Even if you didn’t handle it well in the past, you can add that you are wiser now and would tackle such people in a different way in the present. It demonstrates that you are a learner.

Interview Question About Handling A Difficult Person

If you are able to create change in the world over the next 10 years, what will that impact look like?
This future-oriented question checks if the candidate is selfish or able to think about the organization in the long run. The candidate's goals and aspirations are valid, but they must be in sync with the vision of the company they would be associated with for such a long time.

Interview Question About The Future

<ol>
<li>Take a few seconds to think, not feeling awkward at the slight pause. You can also ask the interviewer to repeat the question, while you think of a good answer.</li>
<li>It is okay to let the interviewer know you are thinking about the answer, taking a minute to think of a suitable response can showcase your honesty and desire to give a quality response.</li>
<li>Be confident when you do answer.</li>
</ol>

Tips For Any Tough Interview Question

All the tips you need to bolster your chances of being selected 

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

health

Health

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Cracking the Interview

Job interviews are much easier when you come prepared. Here are tips for answering four of the most common interview questions.

4 of the Toughest Interview Questions, and How to Respond

One of the oldest and most straightforward storytelling formulas:<ul><li>Setup: Set the scene and introduce the character(s)</li><li>Confrontation or “Rising action” : Present a problem and build up the tension</li><li>Resolution: Resolve the problem</li></ul>

Three-Act Storytelling Structure

Also known as Freytag’s Pyramid:<ul><li>Exposition: Introduce important background information</li><li>Rising action: Tell a series of events to build up to the climax</li><li>Climax: Turn the story around (usually the most exciting part of the story)</li><li>Falling action: Continue the action from the climax</li><li>Dénouement: Ending the story with a resolution.</li></ul>

Five-Act Storytelling Structure

<ul><li>Before: Describe the world with Problem A.</li><li>After: Imagine what it’d be like having Problem A solved.</li><li>Bridge: Here’s how to get there.</li></ul>Set the stage of a problem that your target audience is likely to experience ( a problem that your company solves). Describe a world where that problem didn’t exist. Explain how to get there or present the solution (i.e. your product or service).

Before – After – Bridge Storytelling Formula

<ul><li>Problem: Present a problem</li><li>Agitate: Agitate the problem</li><li>Solve: Solve the problem</li></ul>First, you present a problem. Second, instead of presenting the “After”, you intensify the problem with emotional language. Finally, you solve the problem by offering your product or services.

Problem – Agitate – Solve Storytelling Formula

The Golden Circle is a narrative structure from Simon Sinek. His claim is   can be used as a guide to vastly improve every aspect of your business or organization—from leadership and hiring, to product development, sales, and marketing.<ul><li>Why: Why the company exists (Why are you in this business? What motivates you)</li><li>How: How the company fulfills its Why</li><li>What: What the company does to fulfill its Why (i.e. your products and services).</li></ul>

Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle

Dale Carnegie usues a more dramatic structure for storytelling<ul><li>Incident: Share a relevant, personal experience, to grab your audience’s attention.</li><li>Action: Describe the specific action taken to solve or prevent a problem, showing that a change was needed.</li><li>Benefit: State the benefits of the action/change.</li></ul>

Dale Carnegie’s Magic Formula for Storytelling

<ul><li>Introduce the character;</li><li>Bring the story to its lowest point;</li><li>Turn it around and finish with a happy ending.</li></ul>Once you introduce the character of the story, describe how things went awful for him/her, using emotions to draw your audience into your story. At the lowest point of the story, turn things around, describe how things improved, and end the story on a high note.

Dave Lieber’s V Storytelling Formula

<ul><li>Star: An attention-getting, positive opening</li><li>Chain: A series of convincing facts, benefits, and reasons</li><li>Hook: A powerful call-to-action.</li></ul>The star grabs your audience’s attention. The chain turns your audience’s attention into a desire. The hook gives them something actionable to fulfill their desire.

Star – Chain – Hook Storytelling Formula

Once upon a time there was.... Every day, ... One day, ... Because of that, ... Because of that, ... Until finally, ... The idea is to introduce a character or a group of character, describe their usual routine, present a twist that disrupts their daily lives, explain how they overcome it, and celebrate!

Pixar’s Award-Winning Storytelling Formula

<ul><li>Departure: A hero receives a call to go on an adventure, receives advice from a mentor, and heads out on her journey.</li><li>Initiation: The hero meets a series of challenges but eventually completes the mission.</li><li>Return: The hero returns and helps others with her new found power or treasure.</li></ul>This formula is used by many of the greatest storytellers including George Lucas for his Star Wars films!

The Hero’s Journey Storytelling Formula

In a famous TED talk, Nancy Duarte presents the structure of a presentation made famous by Steve Jobs.<ul><li>What is: The status quo</li><li>What could be: The future that could be possible</li></ul>Go back and forth between the two and end off with a …<ul><li>New bliss: The wonderful future with your idea/product/service adopted.</li></ul>

Nancy Duarte’s Secret Structure of Great Talks

How to get someone else to feel a connection to you and your purpose. How to get them to empathise with your story.

problemsolving

Problem Solving

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

Persuasive storytelling

How do great presenters tell their stories

Legendary marketer, Seth Godin, describes marketing as "the art of telling a story that resonates with your audience and then spreads." If you look at some of the biggest brands around, you might notice that they are often amazing storytellers.

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

Storytelling Formulas: 11 Quick-Fire Ways to Create Your Stories

The former head of the FBI’s behavioural analysis program, Robin Dreeke has studied human interpersonal relations for about three decades. 
He has some expert advice on how to put strangers at ease, and how to use your body language like a pro, among other things.

Getting People To Like You

<ul>
<li>When you meet someone don’t judge, but listen attentively. Validate your thoughts without colouring them with prejudice or judgement.</li>
<li>Take your time to understand the person’s needs, wants, dreams and aspirations.</li>
<li>If during listening you come across stuff you don’t understand or agree with, act curious and dig deeper.</li>
</ul>
Most people want to talk about themselves, as it provides their mind with a pleasurable sensation. Let them do so.

Getting People To Like You: The Most Important Thing To Do

Contradicting others does not build good relations, because as soon as people hear contradicting information that is proving them wrong, their logical instincts get shut down and they slide into a fight-or-flight response.
While it does feel good to one-up someone with a clever story as a reply to theirs or to correct someone, just don’t do it. Suspend your ego and ignore the desire to be always correct, or to be emotionally hijacked by a situation in which we are not in agreement with someone else's thoughts and actions.

Let Go Of The Ego

Stop thinking about what you are going to say next when someone else stops talking. 
Simply be curious and hear out what the other person is saying, even if you are listening but not shutting up mentally, you are not really listening, but are thinking about what you want to say. Ignore that instinct and just explore what the other person is talking about.

Being A Good Listener

Asking people to talk and simply listening to them makes you a better conversationalist and extremely likeable.
The basics of active listening are:
<ol>
<li>Do not interrupt, disagree or evaluate the other person’s words.</li>
<li>Nod your head or make appropriate acknowledgement.</li>
<li>Repeat back a short summary of what you heard.</li>
<li>Inquire and ask questions, showing real interest.</li>
</ol>

Basics Of Active Listening

Everyone has struggles, obstacles and challenges in life. Asking about what kind of challenges the other person is going through is an ideal path to a great conversation. The challenges they may have could be at work, or at home.
Seeking advice is one of the best ways to influence peers, superiors and team members. It is a soft, persuasive approach that is effective, provided you are sincere.

The Best Question To Ask

If you tell someone you are leaving in a minute, they are relaxed and open to listening to you, but if you are at a bar and offer a drink to someone, their shields go up. Tell them when you are leaving, upfront.
If the approach is preceded by inquiring politely if they have a minute, the compliance rate among strangers is higher. People need to feel safe, in control and not trapped in talking to some weird person they don’t know.

Make Strangers Feel At Ease

Just like our words need to be positive, vibrant and free of ego, your body language has to match, and a smile is the best way to portray it quickly. A gentle smile with a palms-up gesture suggests openness and comfort. Smile slowly, not in a hurry, and don't grin.
Smiling also makes us happier and provides the brain with the same amount of pleasure as 2000 bars of chocolate.

Your Body Language

If we encounter manipulative people using psychology to gain an unfair advantage, be upfront and honest without being hostile. Seek further clarity in their motives and goals and the underlying reasons.
We need to focus on trust, not the various tricks in the book, to earn respect. Trust is the single most character trait that any person will look up to.

Deal With Manipulative People

How to get people to like you -- it's a tricky problem. Here the head of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Program explains how to make people like you quickly.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert - Barking Up The Wrong Tree

An assumption that sharing selfies is or should be embarrassing runs throughout the journalistic and scholarly coverage on the topic.
When discussing about this practice, descriptors like &quot;vain&quot; and &quot;narcissistic&quot; inevitably become a part of the conversation. Qualifiers like &quot;special occasion,&quot; &quot;beautiful location,&quot; and &quot;ironic&quot; are used to justify them.

Criticizing and justifying selfies

Technology (physical and digital) makes it possible, so we do it. But also, we do because both the technology and our culture expect us to.
The selfie is not a new form of expression. Artists have created self-portraits for ages, from cave to classical paintings, to early photography and modern art. What&#39;s new about today&#39;s selfie is its commonplace nature and its ubiquity. Technological advancement liberated the self-portrait from the art world and gave it to the masses.

Why people take selfies: when technology compels us

As photos meant to be shared, selfies are not individual acts - they are social acts. Selfies and our presence on social media are a part of an &quot;identity work&quot;. 
This is the work that we do on a daily basis to ensure that we are seen by others as we wish to be seen. The selfies we take and share are designed to present a particular image of us, and thus, to shape the impression of us held by others.

Selfies as social acts

This term refers to the idea that we have a notion of what others expect of us, or what others would consider a good impression of us, and that this shapes how we present ourselves.

Impression management

Memes are cultural entities that encourage their own replication. Memes pack a powerful communicative punch with a combination of repetitious imagery and phrases. They are full of symbolic meaning. As such, they compel their replication. If they were meaningless, if they had no cultural currency, they would never become a meme. 
In this sense, the selfie is very much a meme - a normative thing that we do that results in a patterned and repetitious way of representing ourselves.

Memes as cultural objects

Is taking a selfie simply an act of vanity and narcissism? Sociology suggests some additional forces may be at play.

Why We Selfie

People often say something using more words than required, usually to be vague or misleading. This phenomenon, known as circumlocution, is often intentional and a ploy used by politicians and salesmen to be evasive or to confuse the listener(or buyer).
A lengthy, wordy response is often used to hide the fact that they don’t really want to answer the question directly, or don’t have the answer for it in the first place.

Tom Hanks Quotes About Life

Lessons From History: MLK Jr.'s I Have a Dream

Every Conversation Counts

How to remember people's names

Perfect Thank You Notes: Heartfelt And Handwritten

Vanessa