Posts Tagged Listen to Learn

Stress and Opposing Viewpoints

On August 2, 2016 / Blog, Relationships

We are in the midst of a major election year in the United States. Even though we still have three months until Election Day, I can already see the heated communications from people of all walks of life. And the one thing all these conversations have in common is stress. Because of the opposing viewpoints of the candidates and the population in general, discussions can quickly escalate. Friendships can be lost. And family members can pit against each other.

Even when you and other person have opposing viewpoints, you can have a civil conversation that does not involve stress, yelling, or strained relationships. The key is to accept the other person’s point of view.

Realize that accepting the opposing viewpoint … >>>

The Discipline of Listening

On October 7, 2013 / Effectiveness, Parenting

Most parents don’t listen to their children. But listening to learn and valuing young people’s feelings and ideas is what promotes the ability of parents to effectively communicate with and influence children.

What is “listening to learn”? When you listen to learn, it means you’re not inserting your opinion and not judging what the youngster says while the youngster is speaking. Often, parents have a natural tendency to approve or disapprove of young people’s statements. Parents’ first reaction is to evaluate from their own point of view and then approve or disapprove of what the youngster says. This is listening autobiographically. While the tendency to make evaluations is common in almost all conversations, it is much more intense when … >>>