Why active listening is important: experts say we’re not doing it and that letting someone know you hear them helps you to connect and grow
- With technology providing a steady distraction, we’ve forgotten how to listen to others and tune out even those we love the most
- Experts provide tips to truly engage in conversation – including asking the right questions in the right way, and not judging or offering advice
When was the last time someone really listened to you, was attentive to what you were saying and whose response was so spot on that you felt truly understood? And when was the last time you listened to someone without thinking about what you wanted to say next, without glancing at your phone or jumping in to offer your opinion?
These are some of the questions that author and journalist Kate Murphy raises in her book, You’re Not Listening – What You’re Missing and Why It Matters.
And yet it is only by listening that we engage, connect and grow as human beings. Listening has the potential to transform our relationships and our understanding of the world around us.
What does it mean to really listen to someone? It is to be moved physically, emotionally and intellectually by another person’s experience.
“To listen is to care about, validate and acknowledge another’s feelings,” explains Murphy.