Quotes About Listening

The great enemy of communication, we find, is the illusion of it. We have talked enough; but we have not listened. And by not listening we have failed to concede the immense complexity of our society—and thus the great gaps between ourselves and those with whom we seek understanding.

We may give more offense by our silence than even by impertinence.

I'll be damned if I am not getting tired of this. It seems to be the profession of a President simply to hear other people talk.

Truth wears no mask Bows at no human Shrine Seeks neither place nor applause She only asks a hearing.

Our view of the world is truly shaped by what we decide to hear.

Unlike them, however, her path was not through daring deeds or the study of magic or the use of miraculous powers. She had been gifted with something almost as rare: an open and eager mind. She had the gift of watching and listening, the gift of taking all the hurts and happenings of others' lives and understanding their purpose.

wouldn't talk to you." Cork

close behind him and listened in on their conversation.

Somewhere she had learned that if an interviewer remains silent, the interviewee will rush to fill the silence.

I don't want you to say anything. I want you to listen. You know, being confident isn't the same as being right.

I did not speak. I have found in any Q&A, in court, in witness interviews, wherever, often the best thing you can do is wait, say nothing. The witness will want to fill the awkward silence. He will feel a vague compassion to keep talking, to prove he is not holding back, to prove he is smart and in the know, to earn your trust.

That was part of the job, to pretend to listen, to feign concern. There are three professions who play at that game; barkeeps are the ones who do it on their feet.

Everyone has something to teach you, Duddleman, if you can bear to stay quiet enough to listen.

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.

And are even quite polite, at first, as they discuss whose name exactly it was their son had just said.

If each one of us can give full attention to what is actually 'blocking' communication while he is also attending properly to the content of what is communicated, then we may be able to create something new between us, something of very great significance for bringing to an end the at present insoluble problems of the individual and of society.

Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming

If anything, a lot of electronic music is music that no one listens to at home, hardly. It's really only to be heard when everyone's out enjoying it.

I never listen to the radio unless I rent a car.

People probably heard a greater quantity of music, and a greater variety, on these devices than they would ever hear in person in their lifetimes.

The phonograph box in the parlor became a new venue; for many people, it replaced the concert hall or the club.

With the advent of recorded music in 1878, the nature of the places in which music was heard changed.

I'd argue that contemporary hip-hop is written (or at least the music is) to be heard in cars with systems like the one below. The massive volume seems to be more about sharing your music with everyone, gratis!

Too often people tend to think about what they'll say next when someone else is speaking. I developed a practice of listening all the way through and waiting three seconds to respond—it's amazing how that small change allows you to really hear what someone is saying . . . or not saying.