The dew point is the temperature at which the air becomes saturated with water vapor. This water vapor is the condensation, or dew, that begins to form when the relative humidity reaches 100%.
The dew point also explains why landlocked cities like Las Vegas and New Delhi in the summer feel markedly different from cities near bodies of water like Jacksonville or Manila, even with the temperature being the same. Warm air can hold more water vapor, and the stifling stickiness we experience is the dew point at work.
I’d like to posit that a related phenomenon is at work when we engage in challenging interpersonal communication. When we take the time to deliver feedback with thoughtfulness and care, its impact is vastly different from communication that takes place under conditions of frustration and resentment.
The good news is that we exert far more influence over the ambient emotional temperature than we do the weather outside.
When we do the hard work of processing our emotions beforehand and communicating from a place of generosity, the emotional dew point reaches a point where the recipient can experience the substance of our message rather than the suffocating negative emotions we’re radiating.
