Question

Who is the best listener you have ever known? Describe what that person does that makes him or her so good at listening.

Answer 1

Answer-

The best listener I have ever interacted with was my sister. Anybody can listen to another or be perceived as listening, however, there’s a clear distinction between what makes a good listener and an acceptable listener. What differentiates listeners is their capacity to listen and respond in an effective manner. Anybody can simply listen to what a person has to say and offer nothing more. What makes a good listener is not only being able to express interest in the conversation but to be able to add another factor whatever it may be. For example if one was speaking and their listener simply sat there and stood silent, how would one continue conversing? Understandably different conversations have different purposes, however, in all conversations a response is necessary. It is due to these traits that I contend my sister is the best listener I have ever conversed with. She always expressed interest in the topic regardless of personal interest. What makes her such a good listener is how she gives feedback. With her it’s always positive feedback even in a negative situation. Her ability to effectively respond is what makes her such a good listener, not simply her capacity to be attentive. Concerning my personal listening skills I am ineffective. Though I am able to listen to others, express interest, and give feedback, it is subject to my relationship to the person and heavily upon the topic. What makes me a bad listener is the biases I hold towards my personal views. If I was listening to someone with a viewpoint different from mine I will unconsciously lead the conversation towards a debate. In this regard my capacity to provide feedback is much greater than my willingness to listen to opposing views. What I should begin to practice is to listen much more to the views of another before offering feedback. That way I could process the information better and decide how to respond instead of blurting out my views. Another method I should begin to practice is to actively pursue conversations I know would have been problematic in the past. This way I can gain experience in tolerating the views of other while listening. Tolerate may be too harsh of a term, however, in this instance it refers to the ability to listen without interceding. By practicing this method I should be able to overcome my personal biases and be able to become an effective listener