Most people just need someone to talk to. Or someone to listen to their thoughts and concerns. Someone with whom to share a dream or vision.

So why are people more inclined to talk to people through their phones or computers rather than deal with them in person? It might be because it is easier.

Talking to someone in person has the potential to be difficult because there’s nowhere to hide. One can’t necessarily hide their emotions in person.

Communications technology is fascinating because it has made sharing information easier and it has enabled people to connect in ways that were previously unimaginable. I’m continually amazed that this technology has enabled me to maintain global relationships with people that I’ve never met in person.

Given that it is so easy to reach out and touch someone through a machine, I believe that person-to-person contacts will become even more important because they feel real.

However you communicate with someone, if you don’t appear authentic and trustworthy then you will have a problem. Integrity is everything.

This is important because the commitments we make individually tie our society together. Even if they are made through a machine on the other side of the planet.

[Photo: Small town general store in Northern Virginia]