The Art of Listening
Because sometimes silence speaks louder than words.
There’s a difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is easy it’s just sound entering your ears. But listening? That’s presence. That’s slowing down enough to catch not just the words, but the pauses, the hesitations, the things left unsaid.
Hearing just to reply to the other person is nothing, but when you listen to understand rather than just wanting to reply, that is an underrated kind of respect you’re giving to someone.
Listening is an Art.
I have always been the one who lets the other speak first, and sometimes people ask why I do that. Sometimes I don't want to say anything, and sometimes I want to listen to them. Do you think this is a kind of quality that gives other people a space where they can fully be themselves and feel understood? I also want to feel understood. Many times I don't tell everyone everything, but the ones who listened know how I am.
I’ve learned that being a listener is an art. It’s about giving someone space without rushing to fill it. It’s about letting them untangle their own knots while you sit quietly by their side, holding the thread. Sometimes, the most healing thing you can say is nothing at all just a nod, just a soft “I’m here.”
But there’s another side to it too the gift of being listened to. To have someone lean in, not because they’re waiting for their turn to speak, but because they genuinely want to understand you. It makes you feel less alone, less scattered. It’s like your words land safely instead of disappearing into the air.
And that’s the beauty: listening is never one-sided. When you listen deeply, you give someone back their own voice. When you are truly listened to, you remember your voice was worth hearing all along.
Maybe this is what we miss most in our busy world -the art of listening. Because listening says: you matter, your story matters, and I see you.
When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new — Dalai Lama
