They can help you glean details that a person doesn't tell you. An example would be a friend who says he's not mad at you but shows crossed arms, furrowed eyebrows, and a frown. These nonverbal cues would lead me to believe that my friend wasn't telling me the truth. Personal perception barriers are an important factor in being other-oriented. In stereotyping we allow ourselves to place pre-existing expectations on someone and this influences our perception. When we ignore information we only see the obvious and superficial information. By imposing consistency on someone we overestimate their behavior and it could be negative. And avoiding responsibility can be a hindrance when you always think it's the other person's fault and not ours. When we are aware we are better listeners. We are aware of what we are doing, thinking and feeling at any given moment. (Interpersonal Communication p.80) We can pick up on these nonverbal cues. And we can consciously keep our personal barriers in check. All in all, when we are mindful, it helps to have the whole picture in view. (Interpersonal communication