Most people do not listen with the intent to understand

They listen with the intent to reply.

I heard this quote recently on a virology podcast I listen to, and it has really stuck with me. It’s taken from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Listening well takes practice, commitment, and a kind of meta-awareness of ourselves and thought processes as we hear another person talking. The default mode of communication is to …