Here’s a quick primer on “physical,” “mental,” and “emotional” listening, and how to put them together.
Here’s a quick primer on “physical,” “mental,” and “emotional” listening, and how to put them together.
We associate listening with our ears. The Stoic philosopher Epictetus observed, “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” But there’s lots more to listening than opening our ears and hearing what somebody says. It involves our full being—good listeners have a physical, mental, and emotional presence, and they know how to integrate all three. It’s not as difficult a balancing act as you may think, but it does take a little more deliberate thought than most of us bring to the activity. Here’s how to brush up.
