This may appear vaster that it seems or deepen past the social darkening of the content, we should all observe this as a political, psychological and sociological problem in this discourse as I strongly agree “most people don’t listen with the intent to understand..” Stephen R.Covey. It’s a phenomenal tantrum common amid youths or people
Category: Adult
Education: the possible antidote for the scourge of crime
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.” – Victor Hugo Education. It is the backbone of civilization. It is what has helped humanity to successfully transition from the stone age to the present industrial and technological age. It is what can take a young boy from simply playing the board game ‘Operation’ with
For all the wrong reasons
I look at the above quote and see surmised, with pin point accuracy, the underlying theme of a century besotted with rhetoric and opinions. The strength of human society is, without doubt, in its diversity. And nothing has quite driven its evolution to what it is today than its formidable will to pit rhetoric, ideals
Global Migrant Crisis: A Rallying Call for a More Compassionate World
The entirety of Warsan Shire’s poem “Home” is a commentary, reflecting on the humanitarian horror that most immigrants have gone through in their native place, which leaves them with no option other than to flee for succour in foreign territories. The poem also offers justification for the deluge of Europe and America by Asian and African migrants. It paints
The Battle walks
Injustice is like a battle that is never won but worn on the shoulders of its emissaries to infect justice. It walks everywhere to distract justice from achieving its purpose if empowered. I write this as a victim of a fallen system. This is a system that has shattered the tentacles of justice. I live
Education, the Best Security for Our Dignity!
The great Nelson Mandela once said that education is the most powerful weapon that can be used to change the world. We live in a world with an ever-burgeoning evolution ensured by most educated people with quality intellectual and innovative prowess. Then, what happens to the “uneducated”, especially the less-privileged ones? Apparently, they are being
Hope Is Where The Heart Is
Thousands and thousands of years ago a mother placed her baby in a woven boat of papyrus to escape the atrocities occurring on land and prayed that her child would withstand the dangers of the Nile and make it to a safer shore. Countless mothers today place their children on seafaring vessels and hope their
All for the Sake of Responding
It is a strikingly common and presumably frustrating phenomenon that in course of a conversation, the nature, tone, and apparent meaning of your interlocutor’s response will make you scratch your head and wonder:- ‘What has this got to do with what I am saying?’ OR ‘Of course you are right, but how is this different
Towards A Better World, A Better Self
“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”- Victor Hugo Long ago, a rather inept wizard who failed all his exams at magic university and had a rather pointed aversion to being even remotely heroic made a somewhat profound statement about creating social change: “If you want to help people, build a big library
The Art of Listening
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Stephen R. Covey. When I was a child, I lived two lives. The first in the daytime, a life of, “Good Morning, rise and shine! It’s time to get up! Bacon and eggs and pancakes downstairs! Who can get
A Listening Ear
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. I read a very interesting Igbo (one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria) poem sometime ago. Part of it
Choose Bravery and Hope
I see Alan Kurdi’s body lying on the sand and wonder what his parents were thinking. That 3771 people had died trying to cross the Mediterranean sea in 2015. That people were dying each day in Syria from barrel bombs and toxic gases. That people were being kidnapped and tortured to death. That they might
Proper listening: a fosterable lifeline
“Were you even listening?” Laura asked her mother with eyes blazing with surprise and annoyance. “Erm… Yeah. You were saying…,” came Tara’s feeble reply. She had been listening quite well when her daughter approached her and gently requested for a discussion as she was relaxing on the backyard swing that cool afternoon. She was glad
Why We Don’t Listen in Free Societies
Stephen R. Covey, an American author, once wrote, “Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” I think he’s absolutely right, but perhaps not for the reason you may think. I don’t think it’s because we are desperate to deliver a reply. Rather, I believe it is
Why we care about the library in Leipzig
One can simply attack a topic, dissect it, agree, disagree and state a point of view. Or, one can slowly get closer to it by going through a back door with an open mind and with the intention to stretch the level of thinking. French writer Victor Hugo was loved by the people and despised
Hearing is not Listening
Effective communication is one of the skills people strive most to achieve. An individual who has the ability to communicate properly becomes a valuable asset. Not only does it allow others to easily understand your communication, it also creates an emotional relationship with your audience. Yes, it is true…people love communication masters. However, most people
Children of Our Soul
We name our pets and call them “fur children.” We submit our creations to public scrutiny and call them our babies and beg others to be gentle with them. You don’t have to be a pet owner or a writer or artist to understand that feeling. Everyone has a dream, and it takes a lot
The Priceless Property of Engagement
“Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey I disagree; Covey’s generalized assumption betrays in himself the same quote-unquote flaw in the human condition that he fears plagues others. Intent is a subjective facet of the subconscious and in claiming to understand intent,
Listening vs Responding, the intricacies of conversations
Conversing is humanity’s most refined tool for making, breaking and enhancing our relationships. Having to engage in small talk between a work colleague, a stranger or family member is like walking across a delicate tightrope; there is a constant effort needed to stabilize a conversation throughout, achieved more so through active response than active listening
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
It has been fifty years since we lost the courageous African American theologian who stood and died for justice. He did his part along the human journey of highs and lows in all of humanity’s desire to be equal and live in peace. As magnificent a species that we are, we have been given to