Listening

A wise member of my congregation told me on Sunday that she's trying to listen more. Really listen. I don't know if this is a Lenten discipline for her, or a New Year's resolution that's lasting, but it is a worthy goal, either way.
My latest coffee cup from Starbucks agrees. (Their cups have "The Way I See It" - thoughts on various aspects of life from a whole bunch of different folks - printed on the side. Of course they've also got this disclaimer: This is the author's opinion, not necessarily that of Starbucks.) Anyway, this made me think:

You can learn a lot more from listening than you can from talking. Find
someone with whom you don't agree in the slightest and ask them to explain
themselves at length. Then take a seat, shut your mouth, and don't argue back.
It's physically impossible to listen with your mouth open. - John Moe, Radio host and author of Conservatize Me.

I wonder how different the world would be if we all actually listened to each other, so everyone would be heard.