Imagine that from this point forward, you are no longer able to hear. It may come as a surprise but verbal communication is the second most common form of interpersonal communication, not the first. Writer and educator Stephen Covey wrote back in 1989, “Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with
Category: Adult
Conquering the prison of life
As a matter of fact: education by itself is a tool, a source of conditioned power and a redeemer of human wits. This is because throughout the ages society has witnessed a tough battle, a war of minds. The conquered in this contest have limited space in the community. Just as other sources of power,
Open schools to reduce prisons
He who opens a school door closes a prison. This statement is true in one way or the other. Many people live in bondage due to ignorance. The meaning varies between a real prison and a prison of ignorance. Many people are living like slaves through ignorance, as the saying goes, you will know the truth and the
An Egalitarian Society and Our Stand
When Charles Darwin published ‘Survival of the fittest’, a breakthrough in theory of evolution, he perhaps assumed that the race will be in same manner for every animal. And thus he deliberately did not mention the use of ‘fair means’ in case of human. This virtue of fairness and righteousness can be called justice. Greek
Injustice and Persecution have no respect for borders
On April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr, while jailed in Birmingham, Alabama, wrote an open letter to clergy who were opposed to his style of protesting. A circuit judge had ruled on April 10 against non-residents of Birmingham organizing marches and protests there. Martin Luther King Jr and his Atlanta-based Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Does being educated make a person less prone to criminal activities?
Education is very important in a person’s life, as it can make a person knowledgeable in the field of his choice. It helps a person grow in a civil society. Education is an investment in the future, as a person’s life is impacted by it, and it has the chance to better a person’s quality
No One Wins in the Win-Lose Approach to Conversations
Listening is an art form, and like most art, it is interpreted differently by every person. Some people listen intently, hanging on every word, trying to understand what is being said. Others, pretend they are listening and give the appropriate head nod or “mm hmm”, but are not actually interested in responding or carrying on
With hope in their hearts
Parenting is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. As a parent, it is our primary responsibility to ensure that our children are happy, healthy and safe. No parent wants to see their child hurt. No parent wants to see their child suffering or going through a difficult time. As long as they are
How to decrease misunderstandings and increase cooperation by listening to understand
“Most People Don’t Listen With the Intent to Understand – They Listen With The Intent To Respond” – Stephen Covey I agree with Stephen Covey’s quote wholeheartedly. I’ve seen a lot of examples of this in my job as an interviewer for a third-party insurance underwriting company and in my personal life. I’m also guilty
Turn Prisons Into Schools
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo It is pre-eminent to define these two important words in the quote to pave the way towards one’s understanding. A school is an institution designed to provide learning spaces and a learning environment for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers,
Learning French
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey In teaching us a foreign language, my high school French teacher didn’t want us just to listen and understand – he wanted us to reply! The class was a revelation – Bernie F., our teacher,
Unbroken Chains
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo. Victor Hugo also said, “Rich minds think before they act, rich souls love before they hate, and people rich in both do not go to prison.” Grace was born in the late sixties in a country that did not care about her education.
When the Land is Safer than the Water
“you have to understand, that no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land” (Warsan Shire) We have to understand, in the words of Warsan Shire, that nobody puts their children in a situation that is dangerous unless they have no other choice. The poet reminds those of
The Art of Listening
Listening is a talent just like drawing a picture. It takes practice. Today’s generation isn’t taught to listen with the intent to hear and learn, just to regurgitate fiction and repeat. Today’s generation can’t hear over the “hear me, see me, be me” selfie poses. Instantly gratified by a thumbs up or smiley emoji response.
He Who Opens A School Door, Closes A Prison
Over the years, human society has been unfair to unlettered jailbirds. We often show unschooled convicts the way to the prison yard faster than we helped them read a school signboard when they were younger. We never asked ourselves: what if he had been to school? Would he have been a prisoner or a president?
Listening to Understand
Listening is an art form. For some it is a natural ability, for others it takes a bit more practice to get good at it. It is in listening completely, overriding the natural instinct to create your next reply before fully hearing the other person out, that I believe leads to Stephen R Covey’s statement
The Unification of Ideas
In this time more than any; with social media, a pressure on popularity, and the polarization of political views, it seems that the sharing of ideas focuses more on voicing a lone opinion that cannot deviate from the original idea. The quote by Stephen R. Covey: “Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand;
The Search for Validation
Everyone wants their viewpoint to be heard. We want recognition, validation, the opportunity to say, “I was right”. Perhaps this is why although we may actually hear what is being said to us, we don’t really take it all in or fully absorb the message. Stephen R. Covey stated that “Most people don’t listen with
Listening with Empathy is the Key to Understanding
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” (Stephen R. Covey) The quote is from Stephen Covey’s best-selling book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, where Habit 5 states, Seek first to understand, then to be understood. While listening is a necessary step towards understanding, the intent
The talking that ain’t heard, and my frustrations about it
A long ago, I was sitting at a bar with some friends. I had tried to engage in the chatting, but observation became far more interesting. Like a ping-pong ball, I turned my head back and forth, following the conversation that was intending to be a debate. – But you gotta understand that… – But,