Shut Up And Listen

I always distinguish between people who talk with me and people who talk to me. The former truly have conversations with me; we build off of what the other says, and create new thoughts between us. The latter say things that are either incongruous or exist in a vacuum; nothing they say has anything to do with me or what I have actually said. 

This represents a larger issue here. Many people are not really listening to us; they're just waiting for their next turn to talk. 

I realized today that, although people often find it outrageous and appalling that we spend our childhood being told to shut up and listen, what is far more awful is how many people never even learn that lesson. Shutting up and listening is an awesome skill and more people need to know it. 

Listening is how you learn. But it's more than just hearing the sound or knowing the words. It's about pondering the information you are being given. It's about asking questions and seeking truthful responses. It's a a shared event between all involved parties. 

I have seen conversations where people literally took turns talking about themselves to each other. It seriously sounded like listening to two lectures at the same time that had nothing to do with each other. Each person just waited for the other to pause so they could jump in. There was no reason for the two of them to talk to each other.

Even if you don't have anything to say, or if somebody is dominating a conversation by talking to you, at least actually listen to them. You never know what things you might find out. You also never know what inspiration there is to be had.