"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…" says the book of James, chapter 1, verse 19, which further emphasizes the importance of listening and what we should avoid as humans. How do we live in a fast-paced world that's filled with loads of distractions that make everyone act hurriedly in everything they do, including listening? This is probably why the majority lack the ability to genuinely listen and instead embody the act of listening to reply, rather than listening to understand, reflect, and share the opinions and state of the person speaking. It's not like I'm a saint in this regard because I myself am still working towards improving myself in the act of listening.
It's worth noting that listening isn't all about hearing what the other person has to say or replying; listening goes way deeper than that. It's the ability to genuinely stay attentive to hear what the person has to say and reflect on it so you can understand their point of view, because doing that helps you know why they say what they say and how it affects them. Listening is a habit that many humans in our world today lack because we tend to have this trait of rushing to different things, and so when we're spoken to, we just hurriedly respond so we can move on with our lives, not caring if what we respond with shows we truly understand what the speaker is going through.
When it comes to listening, you have to have patience as a trait, and you must also possess empathy and deep concern for others. Listening is what shows us as a true friend, family, or loved one; it's not about always having the right word to reply with, but instead listening and saying nothing, but showing deep emotions, patting them on the back, or giving them a warm hug. Doing that shows the speaker that you've truly listened, that you understand their plight, and that you truly care. Not everyone has this ability, and it's one of the reasons I personally tend to avoid speaking about my plight to people, because at the end of the day, their response or reaction doesn't show they care or listened to what I just said.
The truth is that despite how important it is to listen and have people who truly listen to us, I lack these people around me, although the closest I've come to someone who truly listens to me without judging is two people among the thousands of people I've come across in my life. One of these people is my close friend Deborah; she actually possesses this rare ability to truly listen to you and not judge or be in a hurry to reply. The second is a friend of my nieces I met a few years ago; this lady also possesses this ability. These are the few people I can say for a fact are close to being genuine listeners; others, including parents, pastors, and the like, that I've come in contact with don't come close, but I'm not judging them, because neither am I perfect; I also need to improve in that aspect.
All photos are taken and edited on canva.