Reading this makes me wonder if you have not been hiding out in the other room at my house while my wife and I talk. Sadly, this is a sin I commit again and again! I don’t mean to tick anybody off, but as you point out, old habits die hard. It does get easier as time goes on, but it took a lot of work at first to change my way of thinking and interacting.

I have seen tremendous success in what I’ll call “empathetic listening” and I’m sure you have a lot more to add to this, but basically asking a question based on the other person’s interests and then emptying my mind of everything but their response. It’s so hard for some of us! But it makes the other person feel that they are truly being heard and gives me a lot more information than I would have gotten otherwise.

Great post!

Don F Perkins