mastering the quiet courage to listen

A man who is mistrustful and self-centered finds it difficult to truly listen. His mind is filled with his own fears, judgments, and emotions. When someone—perhaps a woman close to him—tries to share her feelings, he does not really hear her. Instead, he listens through the filter of his own insecurities and preoccupations. He reacts not to her words but to his own inner noise—his defensiveness, his pride, his need to be right or in control. Rather than receiving what she is trying to communicate, he responds with “Yes, but…” and turns the conversation back toward himself.