Listening Before Speaking, Reading Before Answering
By bettymarie
@bettymarie (125)
United States
July 25, 2012 1:00pm CST
Listen before you speak or read everything before answering or asking questions is something that a lot of us need to learn. Have you ever had a conversation with someone and jumped into what they were saying before they even had a chance to tell you the whole story? How about when answering discussions? Have you ever fully read what it was about before answering? How about the short answers to what the topic is about, the short answers that really don't answer the topic?
Do you give short irrelevant answers, or do you read and or listen before putting in an opinion? Be honest with yourself. We've all had moments where we don't answer correctly or give short answers when we don't want to discuss or share an opinion. Which one are you? Do you listen and read before speaking and answering, or do you go about interrupting and giving short irrelevant answers?
2 responses
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
25 Jul 12
In conversation, I will listen completely to someone so to understand what they are saying and take in as much as I can if they continue talking. I tend to stay quiet and let the person finish.
There is exception to this. If I find they are going in a direction that is going somewhere else. I am careful about this though, if they are going to make a further point. In that case I want to listen but if I see they have made a point, asked a question and seem to be going somewhere else I will jump in and interrupt.
I find that people can cover too much in one session and lose the original thought, so I do say something to let the person talking know I am understanding them.
@bettymarie (125)
• United States
25 Jul 12
I agree with you, and you're right, once the point is made then that should be where we can jump in, but I, like you, often stay quiet until the person is finished with their discussion or issue. I really like the way you replied to my topic. I feel the point has been made. :)
@doroffee (4222)
• Hungary
26 Jul 12
Oh I know those people. I myself am a really cautious person, I overanalyse everything and would never answer to anyone offline or online without processing the information correctly... or when I realise I misread something, I'm gonna correct it. But there are people... even here, in mylot. I asked a question. The question was whether a guy who invited me to the theatre liked me or was just super nice (as he know I liked theatre). I wrote the whole story, which goes like this: we had a seminar together at the university, then I haven't met him for a long time, then he found me on the Internet. It was written there not once and not twice that I have met him in person and I knew him a bit, but most of the people didn't even care to read the whole thing, and thought that I wanted to go on a date with a guy i got to know ON the internet without any friends around... which is not true. Someone even told me that I'm easy if I accept the date because of this o_O... people are just so ignorant and lazy these days.
@Bluedoll (16770)
• Canada
26 Jul 12
Can I offer a suggestion doroffee? If you are asking a question... “On a date, do you think a guy goes to a specific place because he likes you or because he really wants to?”
Something like the above paragraph with a description under it might get different kinds answers although I know that not everyone reads everything properly. I find if we put everything together and/or even a combination of different thoughts into one long paragraph which is I think related to our topic here, people do not read it all.
Many people can not handle multiple subjects especially if it is bunched together and they can get off on a tangent. You are right though about not getting read. Many only want to read a sentence or two and only want to answer with the same.
I’ve tried breaking things up into little paragraphs but you know by the answers they have only read one or one sentence before answering. It can be amusing at times.
What do you think - anyone?
