top of page
Search

The heart of empathy: the art of listening

Traditional schooling emphasizes three key communication skills: reading, writing, and speaking. We seem to have left out the fourth equally crucial skill: listening.


Listening is not a passive activity or a mere synonym for "hearing." The Toastmasters organization has been around for 100 years for good reason. Learning to organize thoughts and speak well is an important skill. It's a shame there's no equivalent for listening.


The ability to help people feel heard/seen is a life-changing, possibly life-saving skill. Great listening is the foundation of empathy. When people feel seen and heard it builds trust. One definition of "trust" is to feel safe enough to reveal your vulnerabilities to me, knowing that I won't exploit them.

 
 
 

Recent Posts

See All
The Habit Audit

Many of our traditions solve problems that no longer exist. Some persist because technology tempts us to automate everything. But efficiency without effectiveness just multiplies the waste, just faste

 
 
 
Fear of Loss or Less

A behavioral economics study showed that when monkeys were given an apple they were perfectly content, but when given two and then having one taken away they freaked out. It's worth noting that they a

 
 
 
Simple To Do

Sometimes we fail to implement helpful advice only because it seems simple and obvious. Things that are simple to do are also just as simple to NOT do. But that's not a good excuse. Knowing and not do

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page