Jacob Needleman - The Importance of Listening

Jacob Needleman, author and professor of philosophy at San Francisco University, talks about the importance of listening in the development of personal morality. Needleman says that two-thirds of the time when we are listening to someone else speak we aren't really hearing their message, rather we are hearing our own voice. To have an effective dialogue we must consciously listen with an open mind and summarize back to the other person what they said so that both parties know they are on the same page. We don't have to agree with the other person's opinions, but we have to allow other thoughts and views into our mind. In order to effectively listen, we must let go of our ego and opinions. Only then can we develop morality because when we really listen we recognize the humanity in others.