The ear is the avenue to the heart.
— Voltaire
GRATITUDE
WHAT THIS MEANS
People are reached by being heard, not by being argued with. Listening is the one thing you can offer that costs nothing and cannot be faked for long; attention shows. When someone feels genuinely heard, their defences come down on their own, and whatever you say next lands somewhere it could not have landed before. Persuasion is mostly the residue of having listened first.
In your next hard conversation, hold back the reply you already have ready. Ask one more question than feels necessary and let the silence sit. You will learn something, and the other person will soften without being pushed.
A QUESTION TO SIT WITH
Who would feel closer to you if you simply listened longer?
MORE IN COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE
- There are people who can do all fine and heroic things but one - keep from telling their happiness to the unhappy.
- There is something about poetry beyond prose logic, there is mystery in it, not to be explained but admired.
- There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together.
Free, with nothing to buy inside it.