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About this quote

What does it mean?
Maintain eye contact and face others directly during communication to show respect and attention.
In plain terms
Face people when you talk to them and when they talk to you.
What can you take from it?
Use direct face-to-face engagement in conversation.

Where it applies

  • meetings
  • conversations
  • negotiations

Putting it to work

  • practice eye contact
  • face the speaker

Questions to consider

  • How does your body language affect how others perceive you?
  • When do you avoid looking people in the face?

Another view

In some cultures direct eye contact can be seen as aggressive or disrespectful.

More from Thomas Jackson

  1. Good-breeding is opposed to selfishness, vanity, or pride. Never weary your company by talking too long or too frequently.

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  2. Never engross the whole conversation to yourself. Say as little of yourself and friends as possible.

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  3. Be kind, condescending, and affable. Any one who has anything to say to a fellow-being, to say it with kind feelings and sincere desire to please; and this, wh…

    Permalink to quote #46

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