There are so many different reasons for listening. In this series, we’re presenting a range of inquiries as a way to think about how and why we listen, and how our intentions affect the experience.
Today we’re asking: How can we listen to forgive?
What happens when we believe a person can change?
What happens when we allow a person to change?
When someone believes you are not judging them for their opinion and by speaking it they see its error for the first time, it will be easier for them to save face when they change that opinion. If a person's position is truly indefensible, your good listening might be exposing it to sunlight for the first time. Even if they can't admit it to you, they may quietly recognize their error and change their position.
We can honor people’s stories by meeting them where they are, listening to them without judgment, and letting them know we hear them.
