Listening to Others

It is fair to say that we humans (most of us anyway) could benefit from the act of listening, more than we do now. None of us are immune to the notion that because we think, or believe a certain way, that it must be the way of thinking or believing. Our egocentric viewpoints often prevent us from taking the time necessary to fully comprehend precisely what is being communicated to us, with the result being that we often wander aimlessly along the path of life, equipped with little more than half-truths, and romantic idealizations.

Have you ever found yourself amidst a large gathering of people, many of whom are clamoring to have their voices heard in conversation, while everyone else does their best to interrupt one another? Ever been one of those seeking to be heard? I certainly have. I have what I feel is an important point to make, or a valuable contribution to add into the conversation, but I am constantly ignored because I am not forceful enough, not loud enough, not... rude enough to make myself heard. The past has taught me that in similar situations, by the time I was given an opportunity to speak I forgot what it was I had wanted to say.

So I sit there, thinking about what it is that I want to say, looping my own ideas over and over in my head, waiting patiently for my turn to *wow* the group with my brilliant input. Meanwhile, I am missing much of what others are saying because I am not taking the time to listen to them fully, intently. Whether anyone knows that I am doing this (or not) does not matter. The fact is, I am passively disrespecting those who are speaking by placing a higher value on my own ideas than theirs, and I am cheating myself out of the potential wealth of perspectives I would have benefited from, had I not been so deluded over my own sense of self-worth.

Yes, we all have relevance. We all have worth. We all have something profound to share with others because as human beings, communication is our gift. However, communication is a two-way street and involves more than just ourselves. Those of us who blog, have recognized this fundamental need to express our ideas in a public format, hopeful that through this act of sharing we will facilitate discussion, and true communication will take place despite the distance between us, and the lack of para language present in our exchange. Honestly, where would any of us "bloggers" be without each other? Probably not blogging.

Actually if you find yourself reading this sentence, give yourself a smile and a pat on the back, many fled this blog at paragraph two, never to return. Blog posts, like people, can often be long-winded and rambling, and it is difficult to remain attentive under these conditions, but if we really are serious about true communication, how can we afford to do anything less? We cannot go through life dismissing things that aren't conveniently packaged, that cause us to exert patience in our dealings. And the thought occurs to me that in the end, if listening to others causes us to forget what it is that we originally had wanted to say... maybe that wasn't worth sharing in the first place.