everybody seems hell bent on saying something

social media expects you to express yourself constantly

restaurant and bar patrons talk non stop

texts and emails must never go unanswered

there is something wrong here

because expressing oneself 

is basically repeating something you already know

you never learn anything new by talking or writing

the only way to learn is to listen or read

listening seems to be a dying art

we should teach our kids to listen

we should all try and listen more ourselves

listening is more than just hearing the sounds

listening styles must be adaptive to the circumstances

playing yourfavorite song on the radio evokes appreciative listening

listening to a political speech requires evaluative listening

when somebody is upset they need an empathetic listener

a biased listener only hears what he wants

lovers can talk for hours because they practice relationship listening

to form an opinion of what is being said requires critical listening

next time you get the urge to express yourself

try listening first