The Art of Listening
Listening (verb) used without object) Means to give attention with the ear; attend closely for the purpose of hearing; to pay attention; heed; obey (often followed by to ):to wait attentively for a sound (usually followed by for ): to listen for sounds of their return: or to convey a particular impression to the hearer. (Dictionary.com)
Learning how to listen effectively and efficiently is an important skill. When one listens one can learn and pick up importation information. Listening includes obeying, paying attention to the person speaking, whether it is picking up on their body language, gestures, expressions, and other non-verbal clues; allows you to know what they are saying both verbally and non- verbally. Listening shows a sign of respect and that you’re paying attention; everyone loves to be listened to. When you listen you can learn a lot about a person; his or her likes and dislikes, behaviors, etc. This in turn makes dealing with this particular individual fairly easy. Listening benefits both parties of the conversation listening allows the other individual to reason with themselves and deal better with the problem they are facing. Most importantly it gives the other person a different perspective or opinion.
Hearing is a physical ability while listening is a skill. Listening skills allow one to make sense of and understand what another person is saying. In other words, listening skills allow you to understand what someone is "talking about".
Words of the Day
criterion n. A standard by which to determine the correctness of a judgment or conclusion.
crucible n. A trying and purifying test or agency
