“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”

– Bryant H. McGill, American author, aphorist, speaker and activist

“Do you think I talk just to hear myself speak?”

I never quite knew how to answer that question, so usually, I didn’t. However, my father would ask it whenever he felt I wasn’t paying attention or listening carefully enough to his instructions. His booming voice both frightened and intimidated me; thus, the harder I tried to listen, the less I heard. Or perhaps more accurately, the less able I was to comprehend the message.

One of the first milestones in life is learning to speak but learning to listen is equally important. We’re taught initially to listen to our...

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