A prominent social-cognitive psychologist, Albert Bandura, suggests that observing a person’s self-efficacy (belief in their ability to perform tasks) can reveal important information about their motivation, resilience, and confidence.
In his book titled, Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, Bandura wrote, “A strong sense of self-efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways.”
These quotes and ideas emphasize the importance of attending to seemingly minor details and behaviors in order to gain insight into a person’s underlying thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
It is even very important to realise that it is the third party that judges you and, therefore, to a lot of extent, their opinion of you matters a lot.
What are these small things that tell you a lot about a person, or that tell others about you? These ones:
Punctuality: On the average, a person’s approach to time can say a lot about their reliability, responsibility, and respect for others.
According to experts at online platform Eden Workplace, “Punctuality shows that you are serious, organized and respectful of other people’s time and their value. Punctuality conveys dedication towards your role, honoring the responsibility and builds a positive image of commitment and professionalism.”
Experts at online healthcare service providers, Bankmed, also argue that while being punctual normally implies certain personality traits such as reliability, conscientiousness and discipline this is not to say that people who are always late are not these things.
But the question is, Who loves to be kept waiting!?
Listening skills: Many people believe that a person who actively listens and engages in conversations without interrupting others may indicate empathy, thoughtfulness, and good communication skills.
Indeed, experts at Bangor University in the UK say not only does listening enhance your ability to understand better and make you a better communicator, it also makes the experience of speaking to you more enjoyable to other people.
“Listening is often something we take for granted. It is common that people often hear what is being said but hearing is a lot different to listening. To listen, we need to make a conscious effort not to just hear what people are saying but to take it in, digest it and understand,” the experts counsel in an online webinar.
Treatment of service staff: How someone treats waitstaff, cashiers, or other service workers can reveal their level of respect, kindness, and patience toward others.
Indeed, many people have ended their relationships simply because of the way the other party treated people at the lower levels of economic ladder such as restaurant service, messengers, etc.
Organization: The way a person organizes their workspace, home, or personal belongings can offer insights into their level of tidiness, attention to detail, and general approach to life.
According to online platform, Organized Motherhood, “Traits of an organized person include being proactive, having good time management skills, and being able to prioritize tasks effectively.”
The platform argues that organized people have a clear sense of direction and purpose in their lives, which helps them stay focused and avoid unnecessary distractions.
Body language: Non-verbal cues such as eye contact, posture, and facial expressions can provide information about a person’s confidence, sincerity, and emotional state.
According to online platform Understanding ModernGov,
body language is essential in communication because it gives us insights into how a person is really feeling and thinking.
“Using body language in the workplace offers an opportunity to show you’re truly engaged in conversation, interested in what another person is saying and demonstrate confidence,” the platform notes.
Generosity: Small acts of kindness or generosity, such as helping a stranger or sharing with others, can signal a person’s altruistic nature and compassion.
According to experts at Midland Health, acts of generosity, such as giving your time, talent or resources, and expecting nothing in return, have been proven to be good for our health.
“Generous individuals are personally more fulfilled, happier and more peaceful within themselves, not to mention more productive at home and in the workplace,” the platform states.
Social media presence: A person’s online behavior, including the content they post, share, and engage with, can offer insights into their values, interests, and social connections.
Study says your social media habits can predict your personality traits, intelligence, and mental health.
In today’s day and age, if someone wants to learn more about you, they go straight to your social media profile. One quick glance at your photos and feed is all it takes to create a first impression.
According to Psychology Today, “Agreeable people tend to post more photos. They also tend to opt for more cheerful language, whereas those especially low on agreeableness gravitate toward particularly negative and hostile terms.
“For people high in openness, their social media use is likely to reflect their interests,” the research body states.
Handling of criticism or conflict: How someone reacts to criticism or conflict can reveal their level of maturity, emotional intelligence, and ability to handle challenging situations.
In order to handle criticisms well, experts at Mind Tool counsels, “Keep an open mind and, where possible, be willing to own up to your mistakes and make efforts to recover from them.
“If the situation warrants it, always be prepared to apologize. Finally, try not to dwell too much on any criticism you receive. Instead, take any positives from it that you can, and then move on.”
Hobbies and interests: The activities a person chooses to pursue in their free time can reveal their passions, values, and personal qualities.
According to the Minds Journal, “Our hobbies, interests and passions help us discover who we truly are and help in building our personality, mindset and self-identity.”
No wonder what we do for fun in our leisure time can reveal a lot about ourselves!
Responsiveness to messages or calls: A person’s responsiveness to communication can indicate their level of consideration for others and their ability to manage time effectively.
People are complex, and their actions can be influenced by various factors, such as mood, circumstances, or cultural differences. However, etiquette expert Diane Gottsman says that communication such as texting is efficient, it is easy and it’s timely, noting, “The drawback is that what is important to one person may not be as important a response to another person. Or they may not have their phone.”
Another etiquette expert, Elaine Swann, says the appropriate response time depends on what the text is about. “Time-sensitive messages should be answered as soon as possible, while you have more time for nonurgent ones. But not that long,” Swann says.
Gottsman adds that, speaking from a polite factor, you should respond within a day. “That sounds like a very long time for some people but we all have busy lives,” Gottsman says.
This is even as Swann adds, “After the 48-hour mark, if you really haven’t said anything at all and someone asks you a question that needs an answer, then that’s where you’re starting to get into rudeness or inconsideration.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, Erik Erikson, a developmental psychologist, emphasized the importance of observing a person’s relationships and social interactions to understand their identity and psychological development.
In his book, Childhood and Society, Erikson wrote, “By observing how a person engages with others, we can learn about their sense of self, their level of trust in others, and their ability to form meaningful connections.”
