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🌊 Deep Dive: How do we recognize genuine interest in ourselves and others?

Time for another Deep Dive, everyone! 🌊  

Deep Dives are member-led, one-hour discussions on wide-ranging topics — but always linked in some way to masculinities, gender equity, mental wellness, and/or healthy relationships. 

Bring your coffee and settle in for a great conversation. Or, if you've got a busy day, you're welcome to join from your phone while on the go!

This time, we are leaning into genuine interest. 

Whether with friends, family, partners, or coworkers, reading people can be tricky. How can we tell if someone is genuinely interested in us and what we have to say (versus just being polite)?

And even knowing ourselves isn’t straightforward – how do we know when we’re genuinely interested in someone? Or are we more invested in being liked by that person? How can we tell the difference?

What does our ability to identify, express, or read interest have to do with healthy friendships and relationships?  Let’s get into it! 

There are so many questions to explore: 

  • What does genuine interest look/sound/feel like to you? 

    • Whether it’s a romantic relationship or a friendship, how do we know when we’re genuinely interested in someone?  

    • How do we know when someone is genuinely interested in us?

    • How does "fake-it-till-you-make-it" culture impact our ability to recognize or express genuine interest? 

  • What are some of the body language cues that demonstrate interest? 

    • From our personal experience, how reliable do we find body language cues of interest?

    • How might body language cues for interest vary based on gender and cultural socialization? Why might this matter?

  • Has the patriarchy shaped what it means to be genuine, authentic, or sincere? 

    • How do gender stereotypes impact our expression or intensity of interest? How about our perception of others' levels/intensity?

    • Has this changed for us throughout our lives?

  • Do our experiences and expectations of interest differ between giving and receiving it? If so, how? 

And we'll go from there! 

Hope to see you there on Sunday April 28 at 10 am PT / 11 am MT / 1 pm ET 🙌

Access to Deep Dives events and our private online community, Inner Circle, are available to Next Gen Menbers only!

What is Next Gen Menbership? It’s a $5-50 monthly or $50-500 annual contribution that goes directly to our youth programs with the added bonus of exclusive discounts, free events, and more!