Matthew I.'s Key Ideas from The Art of Active Listening
by Josh Gibson and Fynn Walker

1. Ignorance and delusion
2. Reluctance
3. Bias and prejudice
4. Lack of interest
5. Opinion of the speaker
6. Own feelings
7. Wrong time and wrong place

1. Acceptance - means trying to avoid expressing agreement or disagreement, at least initially. 
2. Honesty - means that you're down to being open about your reactions, similar to acceptance — honest reactions given too soon can stifle further explanation on the part of the speaker
3. Empathy - is your ability to understand their situation on an emotional level 
4. Specifics - refers to the need to deal in details rather than generalities

1. Minimize external distractions
2. Face the speaker
3. Maintain eye contact
4. Focus on the speaker
5. Be open-minded
6. Be sincerely interested
7. Have sympathy, feel empathy
8. Assess the emotion, not just the words
9. Respond appropriately
10. Minimize internal distractions
11. Avoid "me" stories
12. Don't be afraid of silence
13. Take notes
14. Practice emotional intelligence
15. Check your understanding

Reflective listening is concerned with how you process what you've heard. All four components of active listening are put into work towards creating reflective responses.

The main principles of active listening are:

• Listen more than you talk
• Deal with personal specifics, not impersonal generalities
• Decipher the feelings behind the words to create a better understanding of the issues
• restate and clarify what you've heard
• Understand the speaker's point of view and avoid responding from your own viewpoint
• Respond with acceptance and empathy, not coldly or with fake concern