An essential part of true listening is the discipline of bracketing, the temporary giving up or setting aside of one's read more

An essential part of true listening is the discipline of bracketing, the temporary giving up or setting aside of one's own prejudices, frames of reference and desires so as to experience as far as possible the speaker's world from the inside, step in inside his or her shoes. This unification of speaker and listener is actually and extension and enlargement of ourselves, and new knowledge is always gained from this. Moreover, since true listening involves bracketing, a setting aside of the self, it also temporarily involves a total acceptance of the other. Sensing this acceptance, the speaker will fell less and less vulnerable and more and more inclined to open up the inner recesses of his or her mind to the listener. As this happens, speaker and listener begin to appreciate each other more and more, and the duet dance of love is begun again. -M. Scott Peck.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something. -Wilson Mizner.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something. -Wilson Mizner.

And he goes through life, his mouth open, and his mind closed.

And he goes through life, his mouth open, and his mind closed.

The first duty of love is to listen. -Paul Tillich.

The first duty of love is to listen. -Paul Tillich.

Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again.

Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again.

The ear is something we cannot close at will, and we are the poorer for it.

The ear is something we cannot close at will, and we are the poorer for it.

Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals. -J. read more

Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals. -J. Isham.

But yet she listen'd--'tis enough--
Who listens once will listen twice;
Her heart, be sure, is not read more

But yet she listen'd--'tis enough--
Who listens once will listen twice;
Her heart, be sure, is not of ice,
And one refusal no rebuff.

He holds him with his glittering eye--
. . . .
And listens like a three years' read more

He holds him with his glittering eye--
. . . .
And listens like a three years' child.