Four Reasons People Don't Listen More

Details: Last Updated: Friday, 12 September 2014 13:57; Published: Sunday, 11 August 2013 12:01; Written by Wilma Zalabak

I did a survey, "Why don't people listen more?" First answer: We're all overwhelmed, by sound and busyness. Sounds invade our space. The To Do List grows. Even on vacation. So consider, What can you unplug today? You and yours will benefit.

Second in my survey of reasons people don't listen more: We didn't grow up with these skills. Our families didn't practice listening. We have habits of interrupting, talking over, answering for another, eagerness to talk, etc. I'm glad habits can change.

Third reason people don't listen more: We're afraid of what we might hear. I might discover I've hurt someone, been misunderstood, operated on wrong assumptions, or held erroneous beliefs. Instead of hiding, I need to hear these things!

Fourth reason for lack of listening: There are those who choose obvious non-listening as a way of showing their malice or dominance. There are others who think to defend themselves by widespread use of the same weapons. We need new tools.

A team committed to gift listening will become support for more listening: for unplugging from busyness, for changing habits of communication, for hearing things hard to hear, and for creating new tools against malice and dominance from a few.