Power of listening

Do you feel defeated whenever you listen to people more and more? Do your views dissipate the more you listen, or what would happen to views?

Normally, I stand by my views because I have tastes and distastes and whatever. Nevertheless, listening to other people's views can be nerve-wrecking, but I have to soothe myself to get less emotional and more calm.

I'm doing my best to be open-minded, but sometimes I think some views are either incorrect, tainted, etc. I hate to admit, but the views are influential. Influential views make me wonder whether I decide to either open or silent my own views.

This is probably an intentional abstract topic. I can provide concrete examples if that's necessary to clarify the topic, but that would risk the thread to stray away from the topic. Your thoughts or responses?

If you ask the average person, "how do I get people to become interested in me?", you will hear people say things like, be funny, be witty, tell interesting stories, etc. You rarely hear people say "listen". Listening is not exciting. Listening is not a way to get all eyes on you... or is it?

Try this:

*Talk to a person you like. Let them speak and you listen. Try not to interrupt, try not to dominate the conversation. Just listen.

*Try to remember key points

*Let's say they mention that they have a birthday in 10 months. When their birthday rolls around, give a small gift.

*You may notice that this person is interested in you a little more. Not because you wowed them in conversation or gave them a gift, but because you are making them feel important just by giving them your ear.

*When it comes to listening, don't underestimate it's power. Listening makes people feel more important. When you make people feel genuinely important, they want to be around you more to keep feeling important.

@gh87: I used to think I was shy and awkward, but as I grow older I'm finding that I just don't like people as much as I used to tell myself I did :D

I am still awkward, but at least I am not shy.

Social anxiety is a bitch lol.

I never let anyone sway my opinion on anything, I have my own mind and thoughts and use both.

As I always say, I don't care what anyone thinks of me, my thoughts are my own and not something dictated to me by the media/press.

Don't look at people's differing views as something to be threatened by because you might be influenced by them, but instead look at them as something you can learn from.

@Serraph105: Learn from views? How does that work? Like learning from educational institutions or something, or what else?

@gh87: It's based on the idea that you don't know everything and the people around you probably know things that you don't. Not everything people believe is necessarily correct of course and that's for you to decipher for yourself, but if you are literally getting angry at having to listen to people talk then a new mindset would probably be helpful.

They don’t listen

Unfortunately, most people listen with an intent to respond and not with an intent to understand.

@shellcase86: yeah you are right i agree