Are you a good listener?

[True2marie]

Good listening skills are key to communication. For many years, I thought I possessed them. Then, one day, after replaying a CD of a sermon I'd heard the day before, I realized this wasn't true.  I'd missed hearing several points. This situation inspired me to figure out how to be a more active listener.

Are you a good listener?

[pandandesign]

I would not say I'm a good listener, but I tend to listen to what's important. I should say I'm a selective listener because I don't digest all the things I have heard when people speak or during the conversation. I sometimes forget what people have just said, which I sometimes ask them to repeat some of the stuff they say. Yes, that drive them crazy sometimes.

[brookie]

I think I'm a good listener...when I want to be, lol. If something is really interesting I could listen and repeat every word back to you word for word. But if it's not interesting, it will go in one ear and out the other. But, with everything I have a concentration span. I can't just sit and listen for an hour + without getting up or doing something.

[Peninha]

Well, if you ask my wife she will certainly tell you that I am not!  :grin:

In what concerns languages we need to have a sharp ear or else we can't reproduce what we are learning and we can't speak correctly. In general terms I've realized that I only am a good listener when subjects of my interesting are being discussed, in other situations my mind sometimes flies away...

[Trellum]

I'm a good listener in general, but I suffer from ADD, so staying focused is really hard at times. I need to work on my lack of focus I guess, the only way to do that is taking medication for that    By the way, sometimes you might be a great ''listener'', but most of the time the issue lies on the fact you might suffer from comprehension issues.  It's rather common, I also have it.

[sidney]

As long as I don't get bored listening to what that person has to say, then for the most part I'm a good listener. Because my mind tends to drift apart when the conversation starts to get boring, so I can't say that I'm a 100% good listener. But I try to make it look that I'm interested in what that person is saying.

[Hardison]

I think I am a good listener.

When I joined Toastmasters International, I was hoping to improve my speaking skills. It did help with that, but Toastmasters also helped me to improve listening skills. Each person who gives a speech is evaluated by each member of the group. It trains you to listen so you can provide effective feedback.

[Daimashin]

I think I am a good listener but only if the person speaks in an accent that I can understand. I don't understand what the person is talking about when it's in a heavy accent. I also have problem staying focused sometimes when there are other noises around.

[JessiFox]

I *can* be an excellent listener, but I must admit I'm not 100% of the time. When I'm feeling well enough and interested I can take in, consider and analyze every detail of a conversation or lecture...but other times I just drift through things a little.

[brothainarms]

I think that listening is definitely my best skill I have when it comes to languages.  I have always had a knack for paying attention to the finer details of what someone is saying, especially in my picked-up language through school (Spanish).  I always rocked the listening portion of tests! 

[CyberGenius]

I think I'm a good listener. You can't imagine how many talks that are not interesting to me that I listen to with absolute attention; From girls who tell me the woes of their lives which they are actually the cause by lowering their standards. Perhaps, I should talk about 'that' our driver that sits me down for hours to talk about his life problems to silly love affairs that don't even bother me.

But, what are my expected to do? Listen and listen and agree[even though I always feel like telling them the truth despite the fact that I couldn't care less] with them just like a good listener should.

BTW, I always pick everything people say when I'm really listening, and I got 30/30 in the listening part[not that it's a big deal, though] of a TOEFL test I took a while back.

[Rosa]

I can be a very bad listener or a good listener when I want to :wacky:. If the conversation is uninteresting I sometimes miss out on alot of it, otherwise I do pay full attention and is able to recall and respond :amazed:.

[devilishomar]

I'm an above average listener. I have a good memory which always helps in my listening skills because i'm able to retain voices in my head for a long period of time. For example, I would remember what my friend said months back to this today.

Of course, I don't remember all the things that I listen to, just something that goes out of the blue on an average day. I participate in debates a lot which trains your listening skills quite a bit, so I've had the privilege to improve them.

[True2marie]

So, as I can see, I am not alone in my struggles to be a good listener.  I am MUCH better than I was years ago, but it's still a work in progress.  The main people I struggle to hear at this point are ones who have shown me consistently that they really don't have much to say.

[lovemwaf]

I would say that in general i am a good listener and have some good communication skills. But on another level i would say that if i dont understand something too well, i easily shut off and move on to something that is nice and easy for me to comprehend.

[rahimbahrain]

I must say, Toastmasters have given me a good training in Effective Listening. 

I always listen before I speak. In fact, you have everything to gain, if you are an effective listener. Because a good listener is always in demand.

I think most people don't listen with an intent to understand, they just wait for their turn to speak...!

That's why I said, "effective listening".

Hearing and listening are two different things.

[andre-nunes]

I'm more of a listener myself, but lately I've been trying to improve communication skills, I used to think that communicating with others was boring and lame but now I know that it is an important part of our well being as a person.

[Denis Hard]

I'd wouldn't call myself a great listener though it may appear like I"m good at listening. However, I get distracted easily because I'm always playing around with plot-lines, story twists and such in my mind so unless someone has something really interesting to tell me, I'll lose interest real fast.

[JohnSword]

Sadly, I would say I'm not much of a listener. My mind tends to wander off during conversations, though I do make an effort to appear interested.

It's one of the things I'll be working on in 2014, as being a good listener is essential in any relationship.

[brothainarms]

I generally think of myself as a good listener.  I often times find myself paying extra-special attention to people who are talking to me.  I do this because I expect them to afford me the same luxury when I am talking to them!

[lizbeth19hph]

The art of attentive listening is essential in obtaining good communication. Yes, I am a good listener first and foremost and not much of a talker. I am better in written form than in verbal being a writer  by profession. We can learn more by being observant and practicing careful listening.

[marmunmrhundun]

I have always been a great listener. I won't say that listening is one of my favorite traits, but it has been one of my best traits growing up. I am not only good at listening but also comprehending what I have heard and understanding it as well.

[senji]

I've found the quality of listening depends on the comfort with situation.  I've found with myself, that if I'm in a new situation - like at a new workplace or a new bar, I become way more attentive and aware of the situation. But if I'm sitting at home or talking with my friends at the regular, my attention dies along with my listening ability.  Same when I'm listening to a song for the billionth time.  I forget it's even playing.

[justusforus]

Part of my everday job is to give advice.  I listen very carefully and ask follow up questions if I am not sure.  Some say learning to listen is as great a skill as learning to speak.  I also think this is a joke amongst the genders...but I won't say which way it goes.

[Aishe]

It varies a lot. I definitely am good at hearing, I can repeat things back to a person verbatim but whether or not I process it in my head or not depends on what I'm doing at the time and the topic of conversation.

Most of the time though, yes, I would say I am a good listener. I tend to pick out the small details and remember them, sometimes surprising people when I bring them up again later.