Noise

Noise is an external obstacle that creates barrier to mindful listening. External obstacle such as noise cannot be controlled but can definitely be minimized by creating awareness about the source. We encounter noise in communication

mainly in public places. The book gives example of a stadium where the audience is full spirited and noisy so much so that we cannot hear even the person next to us. Similarly technology can turn out to be noisy in closed space like an office, classroom or library. Ringing of phone, people talking on phone, ringing of the doorbell, people talking loudly around us, children crying or yelling, loud volume of radio, TV or computer can also create noise disturbance in our work at home or in the office. Some of these noises can be avoided but some cannot. However, being aware of the surrounding, selecting the time, and venue in consideration to the noise restrictions, not paying attention to the disturbance and minimizing the impact of noise wherever we can, will help overcome the disturbance created by external known and unknown sources.

Listening a 10 Part Skill

1.     Find area of interest: rather than declaring a topic boring, think about it how worth while it could be for me in life t create interest in the topic.

2.      Judge content not delivery: Think about the what a person is offering rather than thinking bad about his personality. He may be good in subject matter so do not go on his flaws in personality.

3.     Hold your fire: Do not get excited to react on a particular part of the speaker, wait, absorb the speech and then react. Probably if you take time to think and understand the speech you might not find anything adverse in the speech.

4.     Listen for ideas: Inattentiveness can miss out on interesting ideas.

5.     Be flexible: Good listeners are flexible and adaptable note takers.

6.     Work at listening: Show the speaker you are listening by making eye contact, nodding.

7.     Resist distractions: Good listeners adapt themselves to the environment of speaker without wasting any time.

8.     Exercise your mind: Good listeners challenge their mental capacity by nurturing their brain with variety of subjects and topics

9.     Keep your mind open: Good listeners try to rationalize the material, which can be emotionally daunting.

10. Capitalize on thought speed: Do not waiver into your own thoughts, but try and stay with the speaker to understand the content completely.

Forms of Nonlistening

Pseudolistening: is pretending to listen.

Monopolizing: is continuously focusing communication on ourselves instead of listening to the person who is talking.

Selective Listening: focusing only on particular parts of listening.

Defensive listening: Perceiving personal attacks, criticism or hostility in communication.

Ambushing is listening carefully for the purpose of attacking a speaker.

After reading forms of nonlistening, I can relate why and how people react the way they do by picking only some part of the speech, which finally roots to the way they listen. I can categorize my listening as Monopolizing some times because; I indulge in talking a lot about myself rather than listening to the person in front. However now I will consciously listen to the person in front of me, and let him speak. I will make an effort to react only when my turn comes rather than diverting all the attention to me in communication with others and missing on what others have to say.

Guidelines for Improving Verbal Communication

A critical guideline for effective verbal communication is to engage in dual perspective. This involves being person centered so that we recognize another person’s perspective and communicate accordingly. We have to be sensitive to other’s viewpoints and show that respectful consideration in our communication.

1.     Engage in dual perspective: if there are people who speak in the group who speak different local language other than English, it is best to communicate with everyone in one common language such as English. That way we avoid the confusion and humiliation of other who cannot speak the local language.

2.     Own our feelings and thoughts: Effective communicators take responsibility of themselves by using language that owns their thoughts and feelings by using I language rather than You language.

3.     Respect what other say about their feelings and thoughts: We should not speak for others when they can speak for themselves by assuming how they feel or think. 

Hate Speech

Hate speech is aimed to threaten a particular group by making unethical statements about them. People or group who engage in such a hate speech hold individual or public grudges towards the targeted group. Today’s humanitarian international society is against such hate speeches because they only create hate, and aggravate anti feelings for the targeted group. We all are aware of the mass eradication of Jews by the Nazis for no ethical reason. The Germans followed their leader who had personal problems with Jews. German leader Adolf Hitler popularized the anti sematic notion in the entire nation to target his discontent against the Jews. Therefore no such hate speeches, nor their writers should be encouraged on the web because they only result in creating anti social elements that disturb the peace of the society. The latest Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin was the result of hate crime by a certain group that led in killing innocent people. There have to be some regulations followed by the FBI to scrutinize such publications on the web, which can be completely censored or prevented from being published and creating destructive results in the society.