“A person hears only what they understand.”
So true! Consider a marriage. Or any emotionally charged relationship, even in business. Or emotionally charged subjects, like politics, religion, philosophy.
Usually, when people hear someone else saying something emotionally charged, their mind is calculating and developing a response. It’s where a lot of married couples go wrong. “You don’t listen, you don’t understand!” is how a spouse sometimes feels, even on a good day.
It’s because of the human propensity NOT to listen and, instead, to respond.
Responding is important. But listening is (at least at first) even more important. Because if you want the other party to listen to what you wish to say, you’ll have to provide some indication that you’ve heard them. Otherwise, you’ll lose all credibility in their eyes, at least on the subject you’re discussing.
Listening is everything, in that sense. But most people will not do it.
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