Speaking words to each other doesn’t mean we’re actually hearing. In fact, we often assume we know what the other is saying but we’re only filtering it through our own perspectives. Having the ears to hear allows us to understand the heart of each other’s message.
It seems more often than not we only hear what we want to hear.
Even from childhood, our tendency was to hear what we thought our parents and teachers were saying while missing what they actually said.
And this was not always intentional. Sometimes we don’t have the inner capacity to understand the full depth of another’s message.
Rocket science might as well be Greek to someone not educated in this profession.
But there are times in which more understanding is possible and we must simply practice listening deeper.
And this might be best accomplished by first taking a humble posture of not knowing.
We’re not really listening when we enter a conversation already knowing what the other is going to say. This sort of bias leads to many false conclusions and perpetual misunderstandings.
Starting from a position of not knowing allows us to remain open to what is actually being said. And, in turn, this allows us to move forward in the conversation and not get stuck merely repeating the same words to each other.
Likewise, in a world of sound bites and public opinion, having the ears to hear might require us to bypass third-party commentaries and dramatized headlines – choosing instead to listen to the thoughts of others directly and in full context.
Whatever the case, deep listening is hard work. It’s much easier to hear what we want to hear and continue talking passed each other.
But we limit the full potential of our life and relationships when we miss the heart of each other’s message.
Have the ears to hear and discover the many blessings of deeply understanding each other.
Photo by Start Digital on Unsplash
