Listening Without Judgement.

This is very true, IMO. But I also have to say that sometimes the person giving the statement can bring that premature response out of you - and sometimes they aim to. The tone of a conversation counts for a lot. If you're speaking to someone face-to-face and the other person is giving you their point of view, their tone dictates the response often enough. If they're loud and abrasive, the opposite person may interject prematurely in pure defense. In a polite debate/discussion, people who interject with their opinions without realizing the full scope of the other person's position are impolite, and sometimes judgmental, I agree. This also depends on the topic. Topics like religion and politics, people often have their preformed opinions, which are not going to change despite the other person's subject matter. This makes it a lot more difficult to hold your tongue. I had a run in the other day with a friend of mine, an unabashed, over-the-top Obama supporter. I was talking to him in K-Mart, and before I could even get through a sentence regarding the current financial crisis, he began calling me a Bushite and a neo-con and said I'm hoping for the country's failure. I don't know; if it had been anyone else, I may have decked the guy in the Martha Stewart aisle. Showing some patience with people in general can go a long way.

I think you have expressed a great (happy) secret to life!

I consider myself a fair listener because even if is hard for me to accept another point of view is part of life and everybody is different ,and we need to learn to accept others because everyone is a product of their environment.

Hi Pose123! I completely agree with you my friend. I have always been a willing listener to anyone but I am not sure if I am that good. There are those times that I try to cut the conversation by interjecting my opinion. I guess, I am fired up sometimes or maybe I get over-excited to share what's on my mind. Nevertheless, with all those listening and keeping an open mind, I did learn so much from different people. I learned also to be respectful with other people's opinions. And as I have grown older, I would like to think that I have more patience and tolerance now than ever before. Hopefully, one day I could say that I am truly a good listener. Take care and have a great day! lovelots..faith

It is definately a good attitude to welcome a wide range of opinions. Listening is so much appreciated and recommended to improve communication. It helps people to release bad feelings and in turn recover to relief. You are right listening is helpful only the listener has posting a proper attitude. Stressing the wrong treatment will sometimes double the sadness of the complainer. The listener needs a fair observation and good dudgement before sharing his opinions. If not better be patient to have the whole story, also from the other perspectives. Knots get tighter if not correctly smoothened, as the saying goes.

I, too, believe that when we listen and allow other to finish what they are saying, we can gain from it. I know I do not know everything and this person that I am listening to, just may enlighten me. I have noticed that when I really listen to someone, I really do learn something. I realize, too, that this person has chosen me to talk to. I believe that we are all intertwined and each of us is part of another. So truly, what I do to another, or say, I am doing to myself. I do my best, and admit I fail at times, to not judge what is being said. I have not walked in this person's shoes. I know not what they have endured during their life trials. So I listen and learn. If asked, I give my opinion. I try never to give advice. To me, advice means I know something. I only know what I know and I know I know not all.

This is try I try so hard to practice.When somebody confides in me, I try not to judge at once but instead look at the situation from someone on the outside and all that. When I give my opinion, I try not to be biased and give an objective advice that the person would actually try to take.

A good point to remind the whole community. Something which is easy to say but many tend to forget to adhere to it. Many arguments can be avoided if the listener takes the trouble to listen carefully until the speaker has said everything. A listener who listens with preconceived ideas also read the same way. Instead of having a civilised discussion this type of people are always embroiled in one never ending argument after another. The world will be a better place to live in if all of us really listen with open minds. all the best, rosdimy

Well Pose if we are open to ideas we can get a rich set of ideas by keeping our ears and mind open while interacting with others.It is not essential that the ideas should be accepted or rejected,but being impartial and keeping an open mind makes us more receptive and makes communication easier.And very often listening to another persons points of view even if you do not fully agree,sometimes helps to clear all misunderstandings.....

Im guilty of this, but I recently have been more concious of me doing this. When it comes to my children I must say that Im learning everyday. It seems being a mother you tend to be overprotective. They really just want you to listen so that they can figure things out for themselves. Im finding it to become a lttle more easier for me to do that especially after seeing that when I do that they are upset with me for not allowing them to just vent and figure things out by themselves. One day at a time Im learning to be more receptive to thier own thoughts and feeling even if I disagree.

Even I, many times make judgment without looking at the whole thing.I agree that one should really think before giving his/her judgment. Once you look at the whole combining it as one thing, we'd always find a solution to what you should say before saying any things.

I find myself a lot more open-minded than people around me. My family is extremely judgemental and pretty disconnected from the real world. Beings that I am open-minded and a good listener, I have been taken advantage of in friendships. That's probably the only problem with it. But it does help you meet all kinds of people, and have lasting friendships. That is, if the other person isn't in it to talk about themself and their problems 24/7