One cannot understand someone if not paying attention or not listening cautiously. Besides, this likely happens with most of us. We probably don’t know how to listen very well. We are often in our own thoughts, or usually too busy preparing our reply, or judging or making words fit our own paradigms.
Check it out if you follow any of these!
- Spacing out: Someone is talking to you but your mind is elsewhere.
- Imagining to Listen: You are not listening but assuming you are, but saying, unhuh, cool, mmmm etc.
- Choosy Listening: You pay attention to the portion that interests or relates to you.
- Expression/Word Listening: You pay attention to the words but miss the point because you are ignoring the tone feelings and body language.
- Self-centered Listening: You apply everything you hear to your own point-of-view, you say ‘oh I know just what you mean’ or ‘I know just how you feel’: But you don’t! Generally, this is part of a one-upmanship where you are waiting to prove how your day was worse!