Authentic listener

AUTHENTIC LISTENER

By 

Brij Sachdeva

Are you aware of the difference between listening and hearing? Anyone who has ears is capable of hearing. You hear the sound of a school bell. You hear the sound of an electric generator. Hearing the sound of a school bell or a generator cannot be called listening.

Listening is not as simple as hearing. Listening requires the presence of mind, attention, sincerity, sympathy, respect, will and a certain level of intellectual, and educational calibre, especially when you are listening to an authentic speaker. You listen only when you have a desire to understand. You listen to understand. Otherwise, you can go on pretending to be listening, and applying all your prejudices and biases to what is being said and then interpreting everything in your terms, without giving any consideration to the context, relevance, scope or intended meaning.

Most of the times, people don't listen to others. When someone is speaking, the listener, instead of listening, is preparing for the reply. The listener has already got so much to say. He has to say his thing. This is his right. After all, he has given an opportunity to the speaker to say his thing. Now it is his turn. And with every reply, the context goes on changing.

.....………...to be continued