"We Listen"

The other day I saw a poster on a community bulletin board advertising the opening of a new counseling center. I was struck by its one tag line: "We listen."  I mean that as a compliment. As beings with the ability to communicate in as many ways as is possible, we are born to be heard. We live to express ourselves because - let's be honest - each of us is so darn special. Always we are giving or sending out messages. Putting forth a message is a lot more easy and preferable than receiving one. For one thing, it is less work. For another, sending rather than receiving means we dot quite have to spend as much effort thinking about others.

So, to see an office claiming to listen to whatever its clientele might wish to say is very appealing. After all, my guess is most of us go through our days thinking we are not heard as well as we should be anyway. To claim to listen is to claim more than that act implies. Actual and effective listening is far more than the physical act of hearing what is being said. It also involves hearing with empathy, understanding the perspective or intent of what is behind the words being expressed. That very definitely is no small thing. The fact is while we usually know what we mean, those on the receiving end of our words don't. But by claiming to "listen," one is saying it can and will make the effort to understand.

In the act of communication, it is listening that often ends up on the "short end of the stick." In other words, most of us do not either do it as well as we should or place as much importance on it as we do sending out a message. One of our most basic needs is to feel important, as if we make a difference. Being listened to gives us that feeling. So, not knowing much about this counseling firm than what is on its flier, it certainly is offering to give people what they want and even need. I, for one, hope it does well.