Idea 12: Active listening
Listen to all, pluck a feather from every passing goose, but follow no one absolutely.
Chinese proverb
In a good conversation both parties will talk and both will listen. In more formal contexts, however, one person may be cast more in the role of speaker and the other people are likewise more in the role of listeners. The actors in a theatre, for example, are clearly the speakers and the audience the listening part of the company.
Because listeners tend not to speak much it is often assumed that listening is a rather passive business. Not so. A good listener will give their active and thoughtful attention to the speaker. Their mutual aim is to ensure that what is in the speaker’s mind does really become common property. ...
