Listen

My twitter profile brandishes a quote from Hemingway that goes as follows:

I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.

I’d like to to clarify that a bit, or at least what it means to me.  People speak and others listen all the time, so how is this any different?

The main thing to consider is this: do you really listen, especially at those times where what is being said may not seem important?  You can tell a lot about a person by how he or she reacts in a situation that is less than ideal.

For example, pretend you are behind a person at some burger joint, and their order is presented to them and is completely the opposite of what they ordered.  How does that person act?  Apply the same to a person, who is very late for a flight, and gets stuck in traffic or in the security check.

What is being said may not even come from the person’s mouth, but much is still said.  So next time you find someone in one of these situations, take a step back and analyze their behavior.  Also, analyze your own when you find yourself in one of those moments.  There is a lot to be learned.