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Listening Is Loving — Until It’s Time to Regain Your Energy
How to set clear boundaries and exit gracefully
In the 2014 film Hector and the Search for Happiness, Hector — a bored and quirky London psychiatrist — travels the world looking for the meaning of happiness. Along the way, he scribbles and sketches the key points he discovers about happiness in his nifty travel diary.
While flying to Africa, he lovingly assists a fellow passenger whose brain is about to explode due to the impact of the high altitude pressure on her medical condition. Hector directs the pilot to fly at a lower elevation and relieves her pain by applying a cold compress to her head.
The woman shares her story and determination to reach her destination and see her family. When Hector questions the effectiveness of his help, she tells him, “Listening is loving.”
“Listening is loving.”
Our undivided attention is one of the most precious gifts we can give to another person. Active listening helps us build rapport, establish trust, and deepen our sense of connection.
The value of our attention has multiplied even more since the inception of digital devices that constantly steal our focus and sometimes even inhibit conversation entirely.