We Need to Talk

But important, life-changing events are influenced and affected by the words we choose to say or leave unspoken.

What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.

—RALPH MARSTON

They offer four simple ways to increase empathy:

Avoiding conversation from time to time can actually improve your relationships with others and make future conversations better

A good conversation requires energy and focus—two commodities that are often in short supply.

If you don’t have the energy or motivation to focus on another person, it’s best to isolate yourself.

science supports the idea that not all conversation is healthy or helpful.

Remember that active listening is not just about passively sitting there in toleration while someone else speaks

Respond to what they say, not to what you think they said or what you expected them to say

you must listen to someone in order to discover
the nuances of his or her position. Instead of shutting down when someone offers an opinion with which you disagree, weigh the evidence