This graphic titled "4000 to 40" explains the concept of how our inner voice operates at a much higher speed compared to when we talk with each other, and how slowing down to 40 words per minute enables belonging and the ability to rewire our brains.
- Inner Mind-Voice = 4000 words per minute (WPM): we're able to have an internal conversation with ourselves, with our many co-opted voices at this crazy fast speed. If you have an adolescent teenager who comes up with instantaneous arguments against what you're trying to get across, you've experienced this firsthand.
- External Lips-Voice = 40 WPM: This is the speed at which we generally speak when verbally communicating with each other. At this speed, our brains process all the signaling, along with the content. Here we can actually be in the state of actively understanding each other.
- Road Signs and Potholes: At 4000 WPM, we can't see the potholes or the roadsigns that would save us from a blown tire or a missed exit.
- Our Worlds: The graphic illustrates our separate worlds (representing individuals) that come together through communication. We are designed for 40 WPM.
- When our Separate Worlds meet @ 40 wpm we find our way: This means that when we slow our speech down to 40 wpm, we're able to connect more deeply and effectively with each other, being aware of our feeling, owning, and caring for each other.
- Purposeful Conversations at 40 wpm: At this speed our conversations actively rewire our brains, tuning them for elevated abilities in empathy, accountability, and compassion (feel, own, and care for each other's worlds).
- Avoid Dominant and Pessimistic Pathways: At this slower pace, we have a better chance to avoid automatic, negative thought patterns and instead choose more positive and constructive interactions.
- Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast: This phrase encapsulates the idea that taking time to communicate slowly and deliberately can lead to smoother, more effective, and ultimately faster resolutions and connections.
The graphic emphasizes the importance of slowing down our external communication to match the speed that allows for meaningful and thoughtful interactions, thereby enhancing our belonging and trust with others. By speaking at 40 wpm, we can better understand and care for each other, fostering deeper relationships and avoiding the pitfalls of our fast-paced internal dialogue.
After an 8-figure exit, I partner with 7 and 8 figure business owners to reduce their time in operations and build a world-class team, so they can grow, scale and if they wish, exit for maximum value | Investor
4 个月Slow is smooth and smooth is fast Paul Haury! Love this post and translating the inner speed into a cohesive togetherness! Thank you
NAVIGATING BELONGINGNESS ~ Belongingness Coach for teams and individuals | Speaker | Visualizer of Trust~Belonging~Power Ecosystems | #ADHD BrainPower ??
4 个月Paul Haury I love your observation that we can see the “road signs and potholes” when we slow down. My company is named Uneven Surfaces for this exact reason! We don’t always notice the signs that tell us Caution, Uneven Surface and get into all sorts of wobbly situations that can tangle and trip us up. I am going to borrow! ??
?? Bridge Builder
4 个月You have changed the way I listen to podcasts, Paul Haury. I can get the gist of what the discussion is about at 1.25 or 1.5, but if I want it to land and be integrated, 1 or even .75 is how I take it in. My mind goes to how we co-regulate little children by holding them close and slowing down our breath so they can feel the calmness. It is so easy to be caught up in a speed-contagion but insisting on slowing down can take the heat out of a discussion so it can better land on its feet. And it is really annoying when you are upset when somebody does that to you ?? . That may be THE situation where repeating back what you hear is really needed, or slowing down will only be experienced as condescending.
The Listener - Expert in listening. Improving the listening, thinking and relationships skills of individuals and teams.
4 个月Oh my goodness, Paul, talk about simple and profound, thank you so much for sharing this. This makes sense through my listening work, slowing down enables one to drop from head processing (transactional) to heart connecting and understanding (relational). Blessings Colin
Telling your story in ways that align you with engaged and profitable internal and external stakeholders and dissuade those you cannot add value to from darkening your doorway.
4 个月and this is why there is a rule that the fewer words the better on billboards work Paul Haury Six words is optimal We cannot accurately consume information, process it, and retain it at speed.