The magic of listening

A few years ago, a magazine organized a contest. Readers were asked to come up with a short bit of wisdom, no more than 25 words. As you can imagine, the contest generated an avalanche of ideas. One reader sent the following jewel: “People who talk about themselves are bores. People who talk about others are gossips. But, those who talk about you are brilliant conversationalists.”

It’s true. Conversationalists are questioners. Questioning precedes listening. Listening yields opportunities.

In his book, A More Beautiful Question, Warren Berger drops this gem: “A beautiful question is an ambitious yet actionable question that can begin to shift the way we perceive or think about something—and that might serve as a catalyst to bring about change.”

Indeed, inquiring minds can identify fresh possibilities, and I’m learning to feed my curiosity.