I'm interested when things are upside down - because there are so many possibilities in that one moment. There is a lot that is exposed.
Anna Deavere SmithRead
If I do three interviews in a day, I can be exhausted, because the process of hearing everyone requires that I empty out myself. While I'm listening, my own judgments and prejudices certainly come up. But I know I won't get anything unless I get those things out of the way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Listening deeply requires us to set aside our own biases to truly understand others.
This quote highlights the challenges of effective listening during interviews or discussions. Anna Deavere Smith emphasizes that to truly connect with others and understand their perspectives, one must consciously set aside personal judgments and biases. The act of listening is portrayed as an exhausting but necessary process that demands emotional and mental openness.
Themes
ListeningBiasUnderstandingCommunicationInterviews
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on effective communication, to illustrate the importance of listening without biases.
More from Anna Deavere Smith
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I think we can learn a lot about a person in the very moment that language fails them. In the very moment they they have to be more creative than they would have imagined in order to communicate. It's the very moment that they have to dig deeper than the surface to find words, and at the same time, it's a moment when they want to communicate very badly. They're digging deep and projecting out at the same time.
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