The Distinct Qualities of Good Listeners

In the latest of their incredibly insightful videos, the School of Life explains, through animation by Zedem Productions, exactly what makes someone a good listener and the need to train everyone to become better listeners.

Good listeners moralize. The good listener is acutely aware of how insane we all are they know their own minds well enough not to be surprised nor frightened about this. They’re skilled at making occasional little positive sounds that delicately signal sympathy without intruding on what we’re trying to say. They give the impression that they recognize and accept our follies. reassuring us they’re not going to shred our dignity. A big worry in a competitive world is that we feel we can’t afford to be honest about how distressed we are. Saying one feels like a failure could mean being dropped, but the good listener signals early and clearly that they don’t see us in these terms. Vulnerability is something they warm to rather than are repelled by.