To listen more
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. (Proverbs 18:13 ESV)
I boarded the plane that would take me home, a gentleman came and sat in the seat beside me, soon enough, Andrew and I were engaged in a lively conversation. His job had involved taking teams of coworkers, often executives, on adventurous outings into the South African bush—an experience that would, quite literally, stress them to their limits.
As they encountered situations where they were physically challenged, emotionally tested, and downright scared, they would start to become different people—people who had gained new perspectives and understood things about themselves and their coworkers that they hadn’t seen or understood before. When they returned home, most of them would get back to work with significant issues resolved.
I asked, “what would you say has been the most common issue or problem that needed to be resolved among these groups of people?”
“Communication. The issue has nearly always been communication. They talk plenty! What hardly anyone does enough of is listen.” Andrew went on to share how communication isn’t communication unless people understand one another.
I don’t know that a lifelong resolution to listen more is realistic, but I am now trying to focus on finding people to listen to. Why would I want to limit myself to what’s in my own mind when I can gain insights from many minds—including, notably, God’s mind. [1]
When we listen to each other, that’s rare, that’s special. Something always happens when we listen. - Peter Kreeft
[1] Activated I Think I Get It
