He has ear buds on his ears and can't really hear you.
She is looking at her phone and we all know that is a sign she is paying attention to what that other person wrote.
When you are both watching television, you may have something to say about how this plot reminds you of that other story, but the other person is deep into that time they got into an argument with their dad and how exasperating dad can be.
When two or more people are fully, comfortably focused on their thoughts and those of others in a conversation, the result can be very powerful indeed. In fact, there seems to be nothing quite as powerful mentally or in dealing with concepts, plans and possibilities as several talkers/thinkers conversing together. Some people say we are in a period of anger, where it is fashionable to get angry quickly, but generally, doing so raises shields and deflections from accurate and honest expression.
Simple interruptions are common these days. We can just be on the edge of valuable understanding of each other when the phone rings, or your phone rings, or mine, or the timer goes off or the doorbell rings. The butler could show whoever is at the door into the living room until I can talk but I don't have a butler. When we are talking on the phone, that machine can inform me that another person is trying to begin a talk. At a minimum, just learning I am getting another call lowers my concentration on you, your voice tone and choice of words as well as the content of what you say.
I had three moving, shining conversations this morning. As I turned back to other things, I saw I had gotten an email about what pasta sauces were the best ones. From facing death, from knowing or avoiding our deepest selves, to pasta sauces?? We live in turbulent times, confusing, fast moving times. I am not deeply against turbulence but I try to face it wisely.
