I Hear You

A friend and I had an interesting conversation about the subject of listening and hearing.

We both agreed that many people listen, yet don’t really hear what is being said.  We talked about the difference and why we felt this way.

Some of the reasons we came up with was a person is already thinking of their ‘defense’, or ‘views’, or what is being said doesn’t really interest or resonate with them.  The problem with this is they rarely hear what is being said.

The expression, “I hear you” has become overused by people who are often blowing someone off.  They actually want that person to stop talking.

When you are trying to get your point across, do you share your feelings or do you lecture?  When you listen to someone, are you really taking in what they are telling you?

I believe most of us can do a better job of both putting information out and taking it in.  I think this takes time and practice.  Next time someone is telling you something, try to stay open.  Try not to interrupt.  And try to see their point of view.  You can always reject or ignore what they have to say afterwards.  But first, hear what that is.

What are your thoughts?