Every time i'm more aware that a "passive" influence is more effective that just telling them "do this, or do that" even if you can show them "the proofs" ...

I think too that it can influence and help a lot, is the opinion and respect that they have about you, example in your food situation, let's see that i'm a guy in very good shape, with a body that "everyone" wants, and if they see that i eat some kind of foods, probably they will try to copy it even if we don't say a word ... because, they want to be like me or have they body i have!

Is more difficult like that anyways .. because sometimes, they "simplify" the things too much, and they think that just because you eat something heathly once in a while you will suffer dramatic changes overnight!

And later when they see that's not the case, the blame you, or theirs genetic, or god, or whatever! Losing faith and being more rigid to change beliefs or habits to have a better life ..

Cheers

Sakiro:
Also, there is a problem with the common idea of what is 'in good shape'... when the media tells us it's preferable to want to look like Arnie or some anorexic with enormous breasts, and when the doctor tells us our BMI is 'normal' it's generally higher than is optimal for health.

Genuine health in person though is a very powerful example because it carries a certain energy and zest for life while still appearing to be cool and relaxed. The lack of anxiety in a healthy person is if anything the most noticeable thing, followed by behaviors such as dealing with problems maturely and being able to say what we mean gently and simply without raising anxiety too fast. When we feel like most people want to feel, they are inspired to copy.
Best,
AR

Alex wrote:

Afrim:
Sounded like a bit of fun to me...
Did it occur to you that none of their 'can I' statements made sense? In reality, “Can I...” literally means: “Am I capable of...?”  LOL  :  )
....
AR

Yes, it did occur. But, no, not really, few minutes afterwards. I was thinking that 'technically' they were making more sense than a city neurolingwistik, even though they probably did not mean what they were saying (both sides: the speaker and the clients). Moreover, it struck me that there were no answers. No matter what I was thinking at those momements, it was still a lot of fun while shifting my eyes leisurely at the trees and some songbirds on the other side of the drive-through road; also, thinking about the wild (not at same time) being not just outthere but also in me. I mean I was also thinking about I--the ecosystem.

AA

I went back to that place today; it was/is a bright clear day today here in New England. I got a small black coffee and a multigrain bagel with chive cream cheese on the side and went sat outside around a bench not that close to the drive-through speaker.  There, about half of the time I turned my naked back on the Sun (I took the two shirts off even though it was kind of cool and breezy; the other half [period], facing the Sun.

This time I couldn't hear fully the conversations between the speaker and the drive-byers:
"Can I .... Pumkin, pumkin!" thought I heard from a blond old woman,
"Pumpkin!?" from the speaker.
"Please ... Pumpkin Pumpkin, ... sorry, ... French Vanilla" again from the woman,
"Pumpkin or Vanilla , sorry"
"sorry not Pumpkin, sorry"
"it's o'right honey"
"not pumpkin"
"OK!"
There seemed to be some misunderstanding there but it sounded like some kind rap music
"Got it! French Vanilla, anything else"
"Can I also have a Ffrench Vanilla fried monkey [or manikin, munchkin, or manatee] and a double extra large pumpkin chicken nuggeet."
"I thought u said 'pumpkin, honey!"
....
I couldn't resist thinking about the trees: "How is it that these 'damned' trees stay all the day in the sun and don't get skin cancer."  Hearing the sounds coming from their leaves was soothing.  When I faced the Sun with my eyelids a little bit lowered I see a swamp with some Canadian geese on top ["Hhh, they are 'supposed' to be in Canada at this time of the year".]  I don't understand their language; 'bla bla bla blaaa blaaa bla ... " they seemed to be talking to each other. 
"Oh! there's an ecosystem!" I thought, thinking of the 'filthy' swamp.
I then recalled that the number of cells that are not 'mine' in my body outline is about ten times larger than the number of 'my' human cells (thousands of species, bacteria and other species that don't do shit, live in me).

AA

Hi dude,

Afrim Wrote:
I realized that I felt warmer when my face was facing the sun as compared to 'the back facing the sun'.

There are more heat sensitive receptors in the skin of our faces, which might account for it.

[afrim] "How is it that these 'damned' trees stay all the day in the sun and don't get skin cancer."
 
All biological organisms tolerate higher levels of UV radiation when their immune systems work properly. Most humans' immunity is poor. Most trees' immunity isn't. We also increase our immunity to UV by regular short-term exposure, exactly as you are doing.
Wearing a lot of products can increase UV damage (hairsprays, perfumes, soaps, deodorants, body lotions etc.) Clean, product-free skin offers the best defense (despite the attempts of companies to sell you sunblock 5000)  :  ) The darker your skin is, the more you are protected, so looking at your picture you can probably take more than me with my pallid celtic phenotype in which any tan fades hourly  :  )

[afrim] I see a swamp with some Canadian geese on top ["Hhh, they are 'supposed' to be in Canada at this time of the year".]  I don't understand their language

David Attenborough does a fantastic breakdown of bird communication in some documentary series; I think it's called “The life of Birds”. Knowing what the different calls mean makes it much more interesting walking through the woods!
Simple calls are about territory, complex calls are about mates, loud chattering is warning of predators. Knowing what it means, one is tempted to respond -”I KNOW it's your tree and your girlfriend; stop panicking; I don't want either of them, okay?? LOL  :  )
Best,
AR

Hi dude,
There's an interesting dilemma here...
Out and about yesterday in the city, I noticed most people are indeed 'not here' but up thier iphones (and it must surely be a boom time for pickpockets in cities right now) -however, and it's a big however...would I rather be talking to some dudes at a bus stop in the street or talking to you dudes here?
There's an 80:1 probability that the dudes on the street will bore my ass off going on about politics, religion, fashion or sport. The probabilities on here are reversed; it's 80:1 I'll hear something interesting, unique or funny.
...Whom would you rather talk to?  :  )

Of course it would be better to be talking to y'all in real life but then I would be knackering the atmosphere with my travel footprint...

Yes, the answer is, live with those you love, and I've been trying to achieve this for decades. The TE makes that very difficult in some places, but not impossible if folks work together.

My second choice is the same as everyone elses -I keep in touch with those I care about via technology...and isn't that exactly what these folks are doing?

I do on the other hand find it weird at places like concerts or museums, nobody is really 'here', they are all too busy filming and photographing the experience to have the experience. They've become observers not participators.

Perhaps like anything else, moderation is the middle way...so we all gotta draw our own lines (for example I don't use a mobile and don't go near things like facebook.)
And now to even up the balance a bit more I'll go do breakfast with housemates 'in the real' LOL  :  )
Thanks for bringing this issue to attention -what do you other dudes think? Has all this tech reduced or expanded our ability to communicate?
Best,
AR