HOW TO BECOME A GOOD LISTENER

Deep Listening is a method that helps you listen better – an important prerequisite for good communication and relationships. You can better communicate with others for example when you need time for 20Bet login.

Good listening is an art in itself and sometimes very different from the way we usually listen in everyday life. When listening, we are often only interested in filtering out the information that is relevant to us. This can lead to conversations remaining irrelevant or even causing misunderstandings and conflicts. This is because listening in this way makes it more difficult for us to also pick up on the things that are often only hidden beneath the surface of what is being said: What goals, interests, needs and feelings motivate the person speaking?

Deep Listening, on the other hand, is a form of listening that involves perceiving precisely these deeper and often more subtle levels of meaning and intentions of the other person. As a listener, you take an empathic and supportive stance towards your conversation partner. To do this, however, it is essential that you first strengthen your self-perception. Deep Listening assumes that you can only listen well to others if you “hear” yourself well.

WHAT IS DEEP LISTENING?

Deep Listening builds on Active Listening, but goes beyond it. Active Listening is a tool developed by U.S. psychologist Carl Rogers that enables listeners to be accepting and empathetic toward the person they are talking to. This is done, for example, by making eye contact or sounds of understanding in the listening role to show that you are paying attention, putting what is being said into your own words, and thus giving your counterpart feedback on what has reached you.

Deep listening, on the other hand, is not a tool, but rather a self-reflective practice through which you become aware of your own interests and attitudes and put them aside while listening. This opens you up to the unknown and unexpected in conversation – a prerequisite for facing the other person without prejudice and broadening your own perspectives.

The goal of Deep Listening is not to throw your principles overboard and agree with everything that is said or, on the contrary, to impose your views on the other person. If you disagree with the other person (or vice versa), that’s fine. Deep Listening, however, is designed to help you remain respectful in such cases: You have listened so well that you can acknowledge what is being said and your counterpart’s feelings.

HOW TO DEEP LISTENING

There is no universal Deep Listening concept, as this practice is used in very different areas – from depth psychology to professional development. As a result, there are different approaches to how exactly to go about Deep Listening. However, the consensus is that Deep Listening is often something that requires some practice and that the method starts with the listening person themselves.

You can apply the concept of Deep Listening in the following ways, for example:

Strengthen your self-awareness: engage with your own thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. If you regularly practice turning your attention inward and reflecting on your own experiences, you will not only be more present to yourself, but you will also find it easier to engage with others. Meditation and mindfulness can help you learn to “listen” to yourself.

Let yourself be surprised: If you are planning to talk to someone about a particular topic, you can be aware of your views in advance and resolve to put them aside during the conversation in order to become open to your interlocutor’s perspectives. However, avoid thinking in advance about what the other person might say. Instead, go into the conversation without expectations. In the conversation, you can also implement openness by asking open questions rather than closed ones.