When the individual feels as though the same world is shared, she feels more understood, more appreciated. This establishment of common ground is necessary to open the individual to further possibilities. While a person might continue to be fascinated with abilities or perspectives he does not have, maintaining a relationship is difficult unless common ground is identified. Few are interested in spending much time with, or listening to, someone who is constantly in opposition. This includes tone, volume, true number and length of pauses, facial expressions, the amount of eye contact, breathing rate, stance, muscle tension, gestures, speed of delivery, spatial relationships, posture, or any other discernible trait.
Body language is a major factor in establishing common ground.
Dr. Juergen Reusch, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, is quite adamant about such subconscious dissemination. This is a staggering statistic when one considers how limited many vocabularies are. In combination with the right selection of words, mirroring creates a rapport that can bind communicators within minutes. While words are deciphered consciously, physiology is usually evaluated subconsciously. This connection, developed unnoticed, is very binding.