The Art of Listening

     The article, "In Africa, the Art of Listening," was a very intriguing article in my opinion. The author posed some very interesting ideas about people and how we have changed over time and how we are now. The author seems to think that humans are story telling creatures, and the only way to get anything out of story telling is by being able to be a good listener. I think that this relates to the situation we read in class in the sense that there were several people taking place in an argument and from the way the excerpt sounded, the argument wasn't going to be getting resolved any time soon. Possibly, if the individuals involved would have taken a step back from the situation and would have taken the time to listen to some other prospectives on the topic, the issue could have been resolved. If you don't take the time to listen, you will never be able to give anyone else a chance to explain their point of view to you, ultimately never believing that you are wrong. Everyone is wrong every once in a while. I think if these people would have been better listeners, the problem wouldn't have been as big of a deal.
     I also believe that this could relate to our research project. I think that being a good listener also has to do with being able to read between the lines in a sense. I think it involves going thinking deeper into what a person is actually saying. Throughout our research, we will most likely come across opinions, whether it be from other people or simply online sources. I think if we take the time to listen to them, and not just assume that we are right, our research may come out far more accurate.