V

The Virtue of Listening

How well do you think you listen to others? Or how well do you actually listen to others?

Intuitively, we all think we listen to other people well enough. But listening is not the same as simply hearing what people say, not even just about understanding what is being said. Critically, it is about making an effort (if it doesn't happen naturally) to see things from the speaker's viewpoint.

I find it amusing (as I have passed the age of readily losing my temper) though still worrying, sometimes, in a corporate environment that people may fall prey to their own tunnel visions and conveniently choose to ignore other angles of perspective. For the sake of efficiency, for example, people trapped in the routines of operation may dangerously but readily forget about - if not ignore - the customer's point of view.

Recently when I raised in a friendly manner a particular problem of such nature for review, a disheartening response received was to the effect of "It is a known problem - So what?!" There was no ill will for sure (as I have been around long enough). But bureaucracy and arrogance are always bad tastes. If it was a known problem, my intuitive inquisition followed: "Why is it still happening and what is the plan to solve the problem, and what is the working status of the plan?"

Anyway, the good will to listen to others is a virtue which doesn't come by naturally - one has to make an effort to cultivate it, but surely to huge benefits - to oneself and others.

Comments

Jade Meng said…
Good point. Especially in the information age, flooded by all kinds of news, hearsays, essays, reports, etc, people has developed a short span of attention, tend to jump at a conclusion or give a rash response without carefully listening and reading. Virtue of listening comes before virtue of speech.
Jade Meng said…
A typo. It happened yesterday. It seems I have developed a short span of attention.

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