How do you describe a true listener?

Philippines
July 10, 2009 11:41am CST
We communicate. We talk. We listen. We want to be heard. How will we know that the person we are talking to is really listening? How will we know that we are really touching his/her life and that we are really, clearly putting our perspective across? I would love to know your thoughts. Please share.
4 responses
@submerryn (1304)
• Malaysia
10 Jul 09
A true listener is someone who listens without interupting, whose eyes looks down and up back at you at the correct timing, not staring in some blank space, someone who does not doze off half way down your rantings. And someone who doesnt have his ipod speaker in his ears!
• Philippines
11 Jul 09
I agree. Yet, I have failed with some who are so good at keeping that attentive eye contact. Somehow, some individuals are so adept in pretending they are listening. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh.
• Philippines
11 Jul 09
By the way, thank you for your prompt response. (^_^)
@krajibg (11923)
• Guwahati, India
12 Jul 09
Hi, while I talk to a person I just do not go with my words making it as long as the Mississippi. I pause and observe the body language if or no6t the person is really listening to me. A good listener is he who when he/she feels over done tells frankly that the rest of the speech should bester be postponed till the next day.
• Philippines
15 Jul 09
One needs to be brave and honest in doing so. Thank you very much. (^_^)
@jshekhar (1562)
• India
10 Jul 09
Hello Thrupages, Welcome to the MyLot community :) For me, a true listener is someone who would listen through the entire talk, not interfering at all and if absolutely necessary, interrupting politely. If he's maintaining eye contact all the time, that is a very good sign that he is paying attention to what you have to say.
• Philippines
11 Jul 09
Thank you for welcoming me. You are the first one to do so. I am really a newbie here. I appreciate your greeting. (^_^) Like what I have shared in this thread, there are those talented ones who look into your eyes as you speak yet with wondering and wandering minds. Duh. ):
@abanerji (1026)
• India
10 Jul 09
communication is a process with a few steps. the sender has a message which he encodes in such a way the it is sent to the receiver through a medium. when the receiver, rceives the message, he decodes it and takes the message. receiver has received the message but this does not mean that communication is over. the prosees is not complete untill the receiver gives his feed back to the sender. hence, when you are talking you are the sender and the listener is the receiver. if the listener is listening to you properly then he would give his feedback.if the person is listening then the person would give his opinion. the person would ask questions. the person would craify his doubts. if the person did not listen to you properly then the person would not react in any way because the person could not gather anyig out of your message.
• Philippines
11 Jul 09
I love the aspect of evaluating the feedback I'd get. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. (^_^)