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Active Listening You see people. You know what their styles are, their hair, their faces. But do you listen to people? Their days, their problems, their achievements-- HELLO, are you even listening to me? Sorry, could you repeat that? You may hear them, but listening is different. Active listening is a communication technique. It requires the listener to paraphrase what he or she has just heard. There are three significant elements: comprehending, retaining, and responding. Comprehending means understanding, interpreting and evaluating. Retaining means memorizing the information and creating meaning from those words. Responding means piecing your comprehension and your memory together to create response that shows that you are listening. So how do we do this? Well we should work on body language and responses. We should make sure that we look like we're listening. We shouldn't be distracted. We shouldn't be fiddling with any clothing, any electronics, etc. We should be paying attention to one conversation, not multiple. We should put aside distracting thoughts, this conversation is about someone else, not us. We should maintain a steady eye contact, as well. Not only must we be aware of our own body language, but the body language. It allows us to interpret the meaning of the speaker's message. lanyway. You should comment on what you've noticed or what you've seen. For example, you can say, "you seem to be stressed out, is there anything I can do to help?" So why is active listening even important? It can help build trust in a relationship and develop openness. It can help avoid misunderstandings, and it can resolve conflicts.

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Paying attention to the body language of others can warn us about any dangerous behavior. So before you decide to be this lady, open your ears and don't let this happen.