5 Times You Don’t Have to Listen

photo by andrea piacquadio

In general, listen more than you speak… unless you’re in one of these five situations.

I’m a huge proponent of good listening skills. Listening is vital for building rapport and creating connection, not to mention understanding people, gaining perspective, and learning new things. All wonderful, right?

Giving another person your time and full attention speaks volumes, especially in a society where distractions and the relentless pursuit of “more” keep us feeling a scarcity of both. We are losing basic conversation skills, including how to listen, especially this year when in-person interactions are few and far between. Not that we’re good at listening at home — in fact, an article in the New York Times from earlier this year states that we are least likely to truly listen to those we are closest to, because we assume we know what they’re going to say. (Wow, bleak.)

So, listening is good. As with everything else in life, however, balance is key. Sometimes it is not possible — or it may not be advisable — to patiently listen. Here are five occasions to stop listening and interrupt:

1. You’ve been listening. A lot. For a long time.

A good relationship, or a good conversation, is not all about you. (Duh.) But it’s not all about the other person either. A…