Bryant
H. McGill
As a civilized society, our main
tool of survival is communication. We talk at others and every once in a while
we hear to what they say during our pauses. We listen to them, mainly waiting
for our turn to keep talking.
Stop that!
Conversations are not about you
talking and the other person hearing you out. That is called a monologue. You
have to learn to listen. You have to listen so completely and attentively, that
you are listening not to the words, but to the feeling of what is being
conveyed, not to part of it but to the whole of it. Remember that words are
only part of what is being told. You don’t have to agree with the person, but
you do have to understand where the message is coming from. Listening is such a
simple act that requires intense practice. It requires you to be present in the
now of the conversation, and that takes discipline. We don't have to do
anything; we don't have to advise, or coach, or sound wise. We just have to be
willing to sit there and listen.
You will be surprised just how much
that is appreciated by people.
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