M. Ford

Personal Power M. Ford

After 9/11, life is no longer the same. The world we know is changing, and new ways of protecting ourselves, doing business, and meeting personal goals are on everyone's mind. The pervasive need for more personal power underscores modern trends toward the psychology of self and therapeutic individualism. Americans want individual accountability in business and government, increased personal security, and life-changing social skills. When is the last time strangers came into your house or place of work? Do you get uneasy feelings about other people when shopping or flying? As both crime and technology increase, personal security wanes. The AP recently reported that new FBI agents are learning how to read body language as part of the most notable change in their training in more than fifty years. Sociologists say nonverbal communications are crucial to building relationships, and businessmen say the ability to read people benefits global trade. Knowing the movements and expressions people use to express their innermost feelings enables observers to rapidly organize information needed to make quick consequential decisions, and nonverbal skills are absolutely essential to personal empowerment. It's not "what" you say that counts, but "how" you say it.