On the other hand, sometimes giving the impression of being more capable than you are is the way to go, the way some animals puff themselves up to scare away an enemy. "Tell" your Shields to give off an 'aura' of strong, graceful self-assurance. There is no need to be cocky or obnoxious about it. the idea is to avoid a fight, not provoke one. No matter how good you are, there's always someone better. If you happen to be 'into' visible psi balls, you may find it amusing to make your Shields visible, too, sometimes. They can glow, or take on any color or appearance you happen to feel like. Use your imagination. Most of these nifty special effects take a lot of effort and energy, so you probably will not want to use this variation often, nor for very long periods of time. Among friends, extending a bit of a tendril from your Shield to brush gently against your buddy's Shield is a friendly hello. It is a little like a cat rubbing his cheek against his person, in effect if not in exact meaning. Just how friendly a greeting this is probably varies from place to place, and it is far from universal, so check local customs first, if there are any. Snuggling your mind, and therefore your Shields, up against someone else's is a greeting that goes rather beyond a friendly 'hello'. In an emergency, it is quite possible to Shield another person's mind, in much