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Why you Should Develop Your Listening Skills- Important Self Development Skills

Why Should You More Focus on Listening?

Humankind is the most gifted species by God. What sets the human species apart from the rest is that only humans naturally possess the vigour to converse. This trait has made humankind wise and blessed with a very precious gift. The conversation generally overhauls communication efforts. One of the more crucial skills to develop is listening skills.

Listening entails half of a successful conversation and it is a part of the Self Development of Skills as well. We often hear that we should talk less and listen more. The conversation ought not to be treated like a competitive sport. The precious gift of being able to talk, of being able to express our feelings, emotions, ideas, or plans needs to be used wisely. But, as with every gift, overusing it may lead to unexpected often disastrous results.

One’s words must give grace to those who hear. There is a huge difference between hearing and listening and most people hear others not listen to them. When words are uttered, transgression might not be lacking though, whoever restrains one’s lips is prudent. Like the ships being so large and being driven by strong winds, but are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. Similar is the case with the tongue. The tongue is a small member capable of boasting of great things.

Why Should You Talk Less & Listen More?
Credit: Gavin Ortlund

Malcolm Forbes rightly said, “The art of conversation lies in listening.”

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

Diogenes rightly said, “We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less.” Hence One ought to talk less and listen more. Speaking and listening in a balanced way is imperative in the world. As Doug Larson pointed out “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.” This makes it even more imperative to talk less and listen more.

The heart of a wise person makes the speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to lips.

Abraham Lincoln once quoted, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” The cacophony of modern life might play a hindrance in having the patience to be a good listener.

The acoustics all around can make it difficult, if not impossible to offer a patient ear to hear one another. But it needs to be widely accepted that listening is fundamental to any successful relationship be it personal or professional. It doesn’t mean that one remains silent all the time. But it’s often advised not to speak thoughtlessly, with insufficient information, or out of a wrong assumption.

Not only does that make one look less intelligent than one is, but also minimizes the chances of it happening if one listens more than one speaks.

Listening is one of the best Self Development Skills

Listening in a literal sense means attentive listening paying attention to how and what one says and in what context. How what one says resonates with the listener. There are many types of listening- active listening, critical listening, empathic listening, passive listening, and selective listening among others. But I feel effective listening and less talking shows the other person that you’re interested and equally involved in the conversation.

A lot of listening has to do with how one responds, the degree to which one facilitates the clear expression of another person’s thoughts, and in the process, crystallizes one’s own. The idea is to explore the other person’s point of view, not sway it.

Listening is one of the best Self Development Skills
Credit: SpunOut.ie

Restraining words often adds to knowledge. A man of understanding always has a cool spirit. One ought to receive with meekness the implanted words. Often it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person rather it’s what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.

Even if on listening to words being uttered, one must not ever be quick in spirit to become angry, as anger lodges in the bosom of fools. Rather, a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. It is believed that the tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

A gentle tongue is a tree of life. But, perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Robert Baden-Powell had put the importance of listening as- “If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk.

If all find themselves interrupting, insisting, speechifying, and coming up with witticisms just to support point of view or display superior knowledge then that adds disgrace not only to the entire conversation but often to relationships. Hence, one must put to practice the age-old saying – Think Before You Speak. Thereby enabling quality contribution to the conversation.

Why Should You More Focus on Listening?

Talk Less and Listen More
Credit: Psychology Today

Speaking and listening in a balanced way are imperative in the world. One ought to listen before jumping to conclusions. Instead of creating a perspective on something or someone, that may simply be inaccurate as one didn’t pay heed or the time to actually listen.

Hearing and listening are two different things and one needs to develop their listening skills to grow as an individual. But what’s equally imperative is to listen attentively not simply for the sake of listening. When one speaks one needs to ponder and the words uttered be well thought out and apt to listen.

Listening entails not only giving the other the time to finish the talking but the exercise of borrowing the other’s perspective. Listening in the true spirit of words means actually seeing things from others’ points of view. Researchers have found that when talking to inattentive listeners, the speakers volunteered less information and conveyed information less articulately. Conversely, attentive listeners received more information, relevant details, and elaboration from speakers, even when the listeners didn’t ask any questions.

Talk Less and Listen More
Credit: Vault Associates
Listening to that too being a good listener brings with it great relationships enabling one to get to know others better.

There are certain amazing stories and experiences that one can learn from other people when one is a good listener. It is insensitive and rude not to listen to other people. One ought to always be open to listening to others as one gets to learn a lot. One ought to practice to talk less and listen more. we should listen to the other person without a judgemental mindset and keep an open mind.

When one says a thing that one doesn’t intend to, it might get difficult to fix it. Hence, one needs to keep an eye on what one utters so as not to regret it later. It is true to say that one must think twice before saying something. All experience different things, and it’s impossible to learn everything from one’s own experiences.

Sometimes one needs to pay attention and learn from others. That way, one becomes much better and wiser.

Listening means taking notice of what others are saying.. Words are more powerful than one thinks which helps you to improve your Self Development Skills. It’s imperative that one needs to know what to say and when to say it. Listening more so the attentive listening is a skill that might degrade if not done enough.

Some might have a stronger natural ability to listen but if not then, each and everyone can become a better listener with practice. The more one listens, the more aspects of humanity one gets to recognize. Listening helps to understand other people’s attitudes and motivations, which enables building cooperative and productive relationships.

Final Thoughts On Why you should improve your listening skills

Talk Less and Listen More
Credit: PhocusWire

Wars have been fought, fortunes lost and friendships wrecked for lack of listening. That makes it imperative that one talk less and listen more. It is only by listening that one can engage, understand, empathize, cooperate and develop as human beings. It is fundamental to any successful relationship. The reward of good listening, talking less, and speaking more certainly not only shall always lead to more interesting conversations but in building more creative, productive, soothing, and everlasting relations.

Bryant H. McGill had rightly said, “One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”

Ramnika Author Revamp Mind

About Ramnika Chadha Khurana

A post-graduate in HR from the renowned Institute of Management Technology, she holds a 4-year experience in the same field. Being a passionate blogger/content writer too, she holds an expertise in writing on various subject matters.
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