As an active listener, I often nod my head as I listen to people. Turns out that I do it a little more vigorously than most other people – and this has become a trademark. During a visit to a very remote village in Rajasthan, all the children of the village followed me for a whole day. They would ask me questions and when I nodded in agreement every one of them nodded with squeals of laughter.
My nodding also has its South Indian touch to it, and so I nod slightly differently when I answer in the affirmative or negative. My advisor at Syracuse once had a long discussion with me and as an afterthought he asked, “Do you agree”. When I said a straightforward NO, he was shocked and he asked, “But you were nodding all the time that I was talking”! Active listening can get taken to be a sign of agreement at times!
My friends at Syracuse made a video mocking my nodding in a video that you can see here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA6KRSKb22M
AFTER that, you SHOULD try this video with my 5 month old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHo7pTNk4bw