Many years ago, I went on a date from an online dating service. We had connected online, and when I met him he was smart, charming and good looking. And then he began talking. I was so amazed at how he never came up for air, never asked me a thing about myself, that I started timing him. I believe it was close to 45 minutes before I decided enough was enough. I stood up, said thanks for meeting me and took off. He fumbled some answer like “I guess I should have let you talk.” Probably a good guy who was just nervous, but by that time all my tolerance had been used up.
Has that ever happened to you? Or have you ever felt compelled to jump into a conversation when someone’s talking? You have a great response to add, and it’s really hard to wait. That’s the other side of the “All about Me” syndrome, either the person does all the talking, or will interrupt others just so they can aim the conversation their way.
If you know someone in that category, think of the acronym WAIT. Why Am I Talking! Listening not only enables us to learn something, it shows respect to the person talking. And most everyone tends to love being listened to. In my latest book we discuss the incredible importance of putting more emphasis on listening to others; the good you’ll do is invaluable. Remember the letters in silent and listen are the same. Can you set a goal of listening 50% more this week?
