The concept that I would like to discuss is listening in general. Now, as we know, listening is different than hearing. Hearing happens biologically and without effort. However, listening is the effort in which you take in the sounds that you're hearing. If you're actively listening to someone, you're giving them your full attention and understanding what they're telling you. You listen to your favorite song and connect with the lyrics because you're giving the time and thought to that song. There are different listening modes and situations. Some people may hear a couple fighting and decide to just hear it as white noise rather than listen, while others may decide this is their new entertainment and really hone into what they're saying. Each person hears and listens to things differently depending on what they find interesting, or worth while.
When a coworker comes to me in a negative mood while I am in a positive mood, I often find that I hear them rather than actually listen to them. I know they're venting, however, I have no clue what they're venting about. I'll often give them nonverbal cues to make them think I am actively listening, but when the time comes for me to reply I have nothing to say due to the fact that I haven't really been putting in the effort to listen.
This concept is important because it really makes each of us think about what we view as important versus not worth while. It also helps us realize when we're not putting in the effort that we should be when a person we care about is sharing something that we should be listening to instead of just hearing. Knowing what non-verbals accompany active listening can make it to where we're good at fake listening. Having the knowledge of how to properly listen to someone will give a person skills that will benefit their future. Knowing when to listen, and how to listen makes all the difference, because communication in general is an important aspect in everybody's everyday life.
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