Are you a good listener?

Are you a good listener? Why or why not? What types of things make you a good or bad listener? What types of concrete things can you start doing today to make you a better listener?

The question today was are you a good listener. Hmm... good question! I would say that I am a very good listener. I say this because I think it is important to understand a person, and you can only really understand someone on a deeper level when you listen to them. I believe one of my strengths is listening and relating to people on that level. You can tell a lot about a person when you listen to what they have to say.

There are many different types of things that separate good listeners from bad listeners. In my eyes, a good listener is someone who is humble and truly cares about other people more than themselves. Good listeners are able to realize that they are not the most important people and that they don't have to continuously talk about themselves or brag about what they have done better. They are genuine, and they can easily relate to others on a personal level. On the other hand, a bad listener is sometimes loud and obnoxious, and doesn't take the time to even hear others opinions. They are thinking about what they are going to say next instead of actually listening to what the other person has to say. This makes it difficult for them to understand the real point that the other person is trying to get across. It just causes lots of problems...

The kinds of concrete things that I can do today to become a better listener includes simple actions like making eye contact and smiling at a person when they are talking. I need to focus on the words that they are trying to say, and not think about the things that are going on in my life that may be distracting me. I need to listen deeper than what they are actually saying, and hear the message behind what they are telling me. These things will make me a much better listener.