It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life

by Tom Rath

What the researchers essentially found is anytime a smartphone is visible, even if it is not ringing, buzzing, vibrating, or even powered on, it degrades the quality of the conversation for everyone. In the cases where the phone was visible, participants had lower levels of empathetic concern and found the conversations less fulfilling. The people who took their phones out were essentially saying, “This device comes before you and this conversation.”

Essentially, giving another person your undivided attention is a measure of how much you care. Intently listening, even to people you have just met, is a remarkable way to create new relationships and deepen existing ones.