Become a Better Listener

I strongly believe that it is rather important to be a good listener. And although I have become a better listener than I was ten years ago, I have to admit I'm still only an adequate listener.

 

Effective listening is more than simply avoiding the bad habit of interrupting others while they are speaking or finishing their sentences. It's being content to listen to the entire thought of someone rather than waiting impatiently for your chance to respond. In some ways, the way we fail to listen is symbolic of the way we live. We often treat communication as if it were a race. It's almost like our goal is to have no time gaps between the conclusion of the sentence of the person we are speaking with and the beginning of our own. My wife and I were recently at a cafe having lunch, eavesdropping on the conversations around us. It seemed that no one was really listening to one another, instead they were taking turns not listening to one another.I asked my wife if I still did the same thing. With a smile on her face she said, "Only sometimes." Slowing down your responses and becoming a better listener aids you in becoming a more peaceful person. It takes pressure from you. If you think about it, you'll notice that it takes an enormous amount of energy and is very stressful to be sitting at the edge of your seat trying to guess what the person in front of you (or on the telephone) is going to say so that you can fire back your response. But as you wait for the person you are communicating with to finish, as you simply listen more intently to what is being said, you'll notice that the pressure you feel is off. You'll immediately feel more relaxed, and so will the people you are talking to. They will feel safe in slowing down their own responses because they won't feel in competition with you for "air time"! Not only will becoming a better listener make you a more patient person, it will also enhance the quality of your relationships. Everyone loves to talk to someone who truly listens to what they are saying.

相关单词：adequate

adequate解释：adj.充足的，足够的；适当的，胜任的

adequate例句：

Though a bit too old,he is still adequate to the work.虽然他年纪大了点，却仍能胜任这项工作。

I hope you will prove adequate to the job.我希望你证明能胜位这项工作。

相关单词：impatiently

impatiently解释：adv.不耐烦地

impatiently例句：

Impatiently he cut short what I was telling him. 他不耐烦地打断了我的话。

The children wait impatiently for the vacation.孩子们焦急地等待着假期的来临。

相关单词：symbolic

symbolic解释：adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

symbolic例句：

It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。

The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

相关单词：gaps

gaps解释：n.缺口( gap的名词复数 )；不同；间隔；[植物学]裂

gaps例句：

Contraction of the timbers left gaps in the fence. 木料收缩，结果围墙露出缝来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

The record is not complete; there are several gaps in it. 这份纪录不完整，中间有几处间断。 来自《简明英汉词典》

相关单词：eavesdropping

eavesdropping解释：n. 偷听

eavesdropping例句：

We caught him eavesdropping outside the window. 我们撞见他正在窗外偷听。

Suddenly the kids,who had been eavesdropping,flew into the room. 突然间，一直在偷听的孩子们飞进屋来。

相关单词：enormous

enormous解释：adj.巨大的；庞大的

enormous例句：

An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。

They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

相关单词：intently

intently解释：adv.专心致志地，注意力集中地

intently例句：

He watched her face intently to catch every nuance of expression. 他认真地注视着她的脸，捕捉每一丝细微的表情变化。

He was looking at her intently but she stared him out. 他专注地看着她，可她盯得他移开了目光。

相关单词：enhance

enhance解释：vt.提高（强度、力量、数量等），增加（进）

enhance例句：

BBC backing for the scheme will enhance its credibility.英国广播公司对这一计划的支持将提高其可信度。

Good secretarial skills should enhance your chances of getting a job.出色的秘书工作技能会增加你找工作的机会。

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