b. Now try to recall a situation in which someone else was speaking, and you
were only pretending to listen. Were you trying to think about something else? Were
you intentionally ignoring the speaker? Probably not. Most people, from time to time,
will let their minds wander while others are talking. Some of the more common reasons
are:
(1)
They may be distracted by important things on their minds.
(2)
They may be unable to concentrate due to nervousness, anxiety, or fear.
(3) They may simply be "tired" of listening. Most people must spend a large
percentage of their waking hours listening. So, at times, their minds drift (often
unintentionally) for a little while.
c. However, there are people who make a habit of being poor listeners. Some
of the more common examples of chronic non-listeners are listed below:
(1) People who are so anxious to express their own ideas that they do not
listen to what others have to say.
(2)
People who only listen to things that really interest them.
(3)
People who only want to hear pleasant things.
(4)
People who take everything they hear as a threat.
(5) People who listen to everything in order to collect information with which
to later attack what was said.
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