Dave Martin

How good a listener are you?

Simply be aware of what actually is without giving it names and without judging it, for you are now feeling out reality itself instead of ideas about it.
– Tao Te Ching 

 

One of the absurd things in life is that you can never know me. And I can never know you. You, as in all your motivations, worries, experiences, desires, fears.

But (through communicating) we can try.

You can never know anyone fully, as their experiences, all they feel in that time, are theirs. So the only thing you can do is to listen to them try. And egg them on.

The value of judgement-free verbal diarrhoea

Even if you can never have someone completely get you, and all that makes you you, you can choose to spend time with people who care, who listen (without judgement) and who try to get you.

So share as much as you want, with the people who care. Because those who don’t have selfish motivations for listening to you, care and love you the most. And even though sharing as much as you want may not ultimately lead to the other person understanding you wholly (though it gets them closer), it can help you to understand yourself (and what you want) wholly (or at least get you closer to).

Here’s another gem from The School of Life: