The Cost of Poor Listening

Poor listening is a significant barrier to effective communication, causing misunderstandings and conflict in various settings, including personal relationships, workplaces, and classrooms. One reason listening becomes difficult is due to the cognitive load many individuals experience; they may be preoccupied with their own thoughts or external distractions. For instance, in an example from the podcast, a psychologist shares a personal story where he missed a friend's call due to a phone switch and misinterpreted the friend's actions, highlighting how we can misjudge situations without full awareness. This emphasizes that listening requires mental resources, time, and deliberate effort, all of which are often in short supply.