“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” -Stephen R. Covey
“Listening is about being present, not just about being quiet.” -Krista Tippett
One of the great gifts you can give another artist or anyone who’s contemplating a project is to simply listen. Listen to them without judgment. Without interruption. Without opinion. For as long as it takes. If they want your feedback, they’ll ask for it.
On the flip side if you’re the talker (assuming you’ve first thought things through and/or wrote down), a generous thing you can do is give the listener a heads up. Say something like, “I need to talk something out. Is it cool if I just download with you?”
These dual, generous habits serve us well. And will save a lot of time and unnecessary aggravation.
P.S. – Throw this advice away when you’re acting opposite someone. Yes, you absolutely must listen. But listen WITH judgment, opinion, expectation and a strong desire to interrupt. That means you’re active and on the road to conflict. Which then makes the scene alive. And really interesting to watch.
