Do you often find yourself in the company of good listeners?
Are you a good listener? Why or why not?
Do you feel pressure to respond more quickly than you’d like or to always have to say something in a conversation?
Do you find silence frustrating?
Have you noticed that you have to repeat things in talking to others, or that you easily forget what they tell you?
What about the African proverb that says we have one mouth and two ears so that we talk half as much as we listen–is that good advice, wishful thinking or something else?
How often do you find yourself in a situation where you find it difficult to get a word in edgeways?
Do you know any compulsive talkers? How do you deal with them?
Do you know really quiet people?
The art of listening is this week's talking point and it is taken from The New York Times Learning Network. Get together with the members of your conversation group and discuss the questions above.
To gain some insight into the topic, you can read Henning Mankell's article in The New York Times The Art of Listening.
Joe Villion
