I was hoping to continue practicing my sensory acuity this week and I had already set my weekly goals when I got struck by the flu. Not being able to leave the bed, I had Netflix to accompany me. This first movie that caught my eye was Forrest Gump.

I have seen this movie several times, but it had been a while. This time, though, it had some eye-openers for me.

Where Forrest is depicted as a not-so-intelligent man, his less inquisitive view on life can be rather inspiring. Here are some examples:

Lt. Dan Taylor: “Have you found Jesus yet, Gump?”
Forrest Gump: “I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.”

Forrest Gump: “My mama says that stupid is as stupid does. “

Young Jenny Curran: “What’s wrong with your legs?”
Young Forrest: “Um, nothing at all, thank you. My legs are just fine and dandy.” 

Jenny Curran:  ” Do you ever dream, Forrest, about who you’re gonna be?”
Forrest Gump:  ” Who I’m gonna be? ”
Jenny Curran:  ” Yeah? ”
Forrest Gump:  ” Am?, am I gonna be me? ”

What I am looking for in learning to build rapport is to listen without making judgement, taking life just as it is. This is because I notice that often my listening gets fogged by my own thoughts, causing me to lose full attention. Forrest Gump seems to have a very objective view of the world: he takes in information without making judgement. Sometimes, internal thoughts can make life more complex than it actually is.

So, next time I am in a conversation, I will think:

“What will Forrest do? How will Forrest respond?”