June 2011
Beginner
226 pages
2h 51m
English
Idea 42: How to become an eager listener
Every person is my superior in some way,
in that I learn from him or her.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
You can’t force yourself to listen to people. It is not a legal requirement, punishable by a spell in prison. In most cultures it is considered polite to listen – or, at least, to look as if you are doing so. But how do you persuade yourself to really listen?
The trick, I suggest, is to convince yourself that virtually everyone you meet, whether it be on purpose or by accident, is your potential teacher, if only you can find out what they have to teach. Nor will they charge you a fee. Even a bore can teach you something – patience.
Always keep a pocketbook or some paper at hand so that you can ...
