Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.
—James 1:19
My wife says I never pay attention to what she says—or something like that. That’s what the bumper sticker said.
You show that you value people when you give them your undivided attention. You can’t listen, really listen, and do something else at the same time.
Another thing. You can’t listen, really listen, when you’re thinking about what you are going to say next, instead of focusing on what the one speaking is saying now.
Stephen Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
“Don’t talk so much … Be sensible and turn off the flow” (Prov. 10:19 TLB). Relationships are crippled by talking too much and listening too little.
Speak little, listen much.