Listen, Hear And Learn

We all have something to say. We have opinions…attitudes that are expressed by the words we choose and the emotion we put into delivering them.

Some are reluctant to express their opinions…to verbalise their thoughts. That reluctance could be confidence related. Or it could be because past attempts to express individuality have been met with criticism and oppression.

Others are keen to say what it is they are thinking even if they take little time to think about what they are saying.

Self expression should be encouraged. It’s by hearing what others have to say that we take the necessary action to formulate our own opinions. We learn far more by listening than we do by vocalising.

The value of anything that is put into words lies in its potential to stimulate thought and argument. We think about the things that we hear just as we think about the things we read. And we hear a great deal more than we read.

Just as we all have an inherent need to love and be loved, so too we have an inherent need to speak and be heard.

It’s by stimulating conversations and participating in them that we learn and grow. An opinion is only as valuable as the conviction of the person who holds it.

Which brings us to the little matter of listening. As much as we desire to be heard we should also nurture the art of observation…hearing the words of others and weighing up the value or importance of what is being said against our own life experience.

Words can be cheap and in today’s disposable society so many of them have been devalued.

But words can also have immeasurable value. They can change opinions, attitudes and convictions.

The right word at the right time can save a life. Taking the time to listen can have the same outcome.