How well do you listen? Why do you listen? How do you listen?
Can you pause and listen to your own answers? Do you have good reasons and explanations? To start with a classic adage from one of the Stoics, think about the proportions that we have been given: two ears and one mouth. How do you do with those ratios? Are you frequently listening twice as much as you are speaking? :)
We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.
-Zeno of Citium
Do you know everything? Will any of us ever know everything? Do we need to ever know everything? How can you continue to learn more if you do not listen? Recognizing this fact and honing your listening skills allows you to learn more and therefore improve more. With any newfound freedom, I highly sugjest pursuing such worthy endeavors.
The wise [person] listens to meaning; the fool only gets the noise.
-Musonius Rufus
I love listening. To nature; to music; to random conversations as I pass by strangers. Any and all of these opportunities can teach me so much, assuming I am curious and open minded in those moments. If I waste my time judging someone or something, then I miss out on opportunities to listen effectively. I fall short in any moment where I spend too much time in my own head instead of connecting more, tuning into my surroundings or listening to my own body. There are many things all around us that we can listen to and learn from if we start to silence our own speaking, externally or an internal monologue.
You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.
-Paulo Coelho
I hope you will begin to notice more what your speaking to listening ratio is like on a daily basis. Slow down, quiet yourself, and listen to the roses. Close your eyes and hear what bubbles up from your inner child or intuition. Seize as many learning moments in each day as you possibly can. How else will we all continue to improve and unite in harmony?
Maybe it is wise. Maybe it is dumb. Time will tell.