Can you control your emotions while listening?
By rosdimy
@rosdimy (3926)
Malaysia
August 10, 2009 7:01pm CST
Listening requires an emotional detachment. A person under the influence of anger, even though not directed towards the speaker, is usually unable to give a response which is completely positive in nature. A person under the influence of sadness usually does not listen properly, because the mind is preoccupied with depressive feelings.
Are you capable of keeping your emotions at bay while listening?
Most of the time I am capable of putting my feelings aside when someone asks me to be an audience. I try my best not to mix my personal problems with the new input.
I wonder what methods you use to control your feelings in order to have a clear thinking, and provide some positive feedback to the speaker.
Care to share your experiences related to the topic?
2 responses
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
11 Aug 09
Hi friend rosdimy,
Nice topic indeed.
In casual situation it is not possible to detach yourself from your emotional state while listening to others voice. You can do only while you are professional in this art. You must be a counselor or a psychologist to listen to someone objectively.
1 person likes this
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
11 Aug 09
True enough. Unfortunately nowadays there are qualified counsellors, proven by the certificate(s) they had obtained, do not listen objectively.
As you have implicitly pointed out, being a listener does not mean simply lending an ear to a speaker. Let us hope that we will become true listeners in the future.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
15 Aug 09
I definately try to control my own emotions, and there are usually many of them, while listening to another person talking. I am aware that I have billions of thoughts buzzing round in my head most of the time but I also seem to have 'folders' and allocate to each one the particular current problem. When someone else is speaking I close all the others and open a folder for them, keeping information seperate from other things that may be on the agenda at the time.
I do pride myself in at least trying to be a good attentive listener and try to weigh up what is being spoken about before jumping to conclusions. Unfortunately in some past occasions I did not manage this well and have the bruises to show for it.
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
16 Aug 09
You are showing signs of being too long using the computer. Folders, and what next?
I guess most of us succumb to emotional pressure at one time or another, thus affecting our impartiality. How big are the bruises? Where did youget them, online or offline?
Thank you for responding, and for understanding what my discussion is really about.
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
16 Aug 09
I used folders for everything even before I started using a computer. All my things at home are divided up into folders too. Household things, friends, family and so on.
The bruises are the tesult of 'living life to the full' and experimenting both online and off. They help when a new chapter starts 
