Supportive Listening

This research reveals the power of good listening in smoothing out disagreements. When people engage in high-quality listening, it can create a sense of connection and comfort for the speaker. This, in turn, seems to prompt speakers to think more deeply about their perspective, resulting in a noticeable reduction in attitude differences. Our findi

Hearing is passive. Listening is active. The best listeners focus their attention and recruit other senses to the effort. Their brains work hard to process all that incoming information and find meaning, which opens the door to creativity, empathy, insight, and knowledge. Understanding is the goal of listening, and it takes effort.