Serious question.
Which parts of it aren't true for you?
Have you found that making extra effort to be interested in the other person's ideas / topics / interests, listening carefully, etc. isn't well received?
Or is "nobody wants to hear what you have to say" not true, because you do care what other people have to say, for example? (Obviously that's great if so)
Or something else?
I ask because I started making that kind of effort a couple years ago, slowly but surely, getting better as I went. I didn't tell anybody, but after about a year one friend was like, "you know, you're interested in what we do and you really care. Nobody else does that." And another friend chimed in and agreed. (And I really do care! Sure it's intentional, but it's like eating healthy food, and then you grow to like it)
They were being serious. So if you believe me when I'm telling you this, it has been true for me and those friends.
I also think it's true that most people are oblivious to the extra mental effort that goes into approaching conversations this way, and just leave thinking "finally, someone who gives my ideas the credit and attention they are due. Now if I could just get everyone else to act that way"
And that's fine with me
Which parts of it aren't true for you?
Have you found that making extra effort to be interested in the other person's ideas / topics / interests, listening carefully, etc. isn't well received?
Or is "nobody wants to hear what you have to say" not true, because you do care what other people have to say, for example? (Obviously that's great if so)
Or something else?
I ask because I started making that kind of effort a couple years ago, slowly but surely, getting better as I went. I didn't tell anybody, but after about a year one friend was like, "you know, you're interested in what we do and you really care. Nobody else does that." And another friend chimed in and agreed. (And I really do care! Sure it's intentional, but it's like eating healthy food, and then you grow to like it)
They were being serious. So if you believe me when I'm telling you this, it has been true for me and those friends.
I also think it's true that most people are oblivious to the extra mental effort that goes into approaching conversations this way, and just leave thinking "finally, someone who gives my ideas the credit and attention they are due. Now if I could just get everyone else to act that way"
And that's fine with me