Listening is Harder Than You Think

Researchers have discovered that most of the daily communicating we do is in the form of listening. It is mainly by listening that we receive the vital information needed to make decisions, perform roles, and cope with the realities surrounding us. It is a little embarrassing or humbling to admit that we have some deficiencies in listening. But we have a good excuse. Whoever taught us to listen? We were all taught to read, write, speak, but at no time was a course offered in listening. Our listening training, if it could be called that, consisted of admonitions: