Not knowing what to say when someone confides in you is a daunting feeling. However, we feel that way because we mistakenly think the person reaching out is asking for an explanation.
It is more important just to be there, so the other person doesn't feel alone.
Active listening, as the name implies requires effort. It is much more than simply "hearing" what is being said. This article will show you how to improve your listening skills to make you a better conversationalist, and a more empathetic friend, spouse, parent or partner.
Comprehending: To communicate, we must first understand what the other person (or people) are actually saying.
Retaining: To respond in an appropriate manner, we must understand and retain what the other person has said.
Responding: An active response should show that we understand what the other person has said, have paid attention to their words and also read their non-verbal cues.
Each is best suited to different purposes, and neither is superior. By Mr. Willingham is a psychologist at the University of Virginia. A few years ago, when people heard I was a reading researcher, they might ask about their child's dyslexia or how to get their teenager to read more.
Audiobooks allow the listeners to get the meaning without the use of their eyes, which books require.
Reading as a skill is 'skipped' while listening to audiobooks, though it is ideal for people with dyslexia, those who cannot 'decode' the written word.
The reading act, which requires focus, and which makes us stop, think and re-read is somehow only confined to books, as a study proves that retention is higher with books than with podcasts.
The audio format also misses some key visual aspects of fonts paragraphs and headings, that are available in books.
Five years ago, my husband Jake was training for a triathlon. He had just purchased a new road bike and woke up one sunny Saturday morning to take it out for its first spin. As we were lying in bed, he looked at me and said, "I don't have a good feeling about this; I hope something doesn't happen."