Basically, there are 2 types of people: those who divide people into 2 types, and those who don't.
I'll start again. There are 2 types of people: those who really know how to listen to other people. And those who don't.
It's amazing how many people don't know how to listen, they're too busy jumping down your throat in search of springboards for their own pet themes. Many of them just can't bear to drag their attention away from themselves. Talking to these people is a waste of time, so this blog recommends you avoid them, especially if you actually enjoy your own company.
Long ago in Scotland, I was very much involved in a counselling network, about 20 trained counsellors who used 2-way counselling as a tool for personal development and skill development, and a lot more besides (ah, the stories I could tell, and probably will). And there's been spin-off from that time - one of the things I think offer my students now is my ability to listen to them individually, and hear the whole person, not just the words. And in what I laughingly call my personal life, I choose to spend time with people who are good listeners, like me.
But to get back to what I wanted to say. The comments I received at the weekend were very kind, but more importantly the commenters showed they had given their full attention to what I wrote. These
Even my dear old friend hotboy is a great listener, with a terrific memory for embarrassing details you have told him decades ago. Of course, he doesn't do empathy, but he can't help that: he used to be a boxer, and battering someone else in public before they batter you is not the best training ground for empathy.
