How To Do Stuff Well

04. How to Listen Well

Listening is a jolly useful skill, so sit quietly and pay attention as I explain it to you. When someone is saying something important to you then it's wise to listen because if you don't then you just might miss something valuable. If, on the other hand, someone is coming out with worthless trot all the time then don't feel obligated or obliged to listen to them at all. In fact, you'd be wise to do the mental equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and going 'la, la, la, la, la (repeat until their lips stop moving)'. Obviously don't do this with your real fingers - this would be very rude and might just get you swatted around the ears.

So, yeah, in situations where someone is saying something useful then listen, but in the case of someone talking horse do-do then don't. All you have to do now is figure out which is which. And that involves? Yes, you guessed it - listening. If you don't listen in the first place then you'll never know what they are saying. So, either way - you still have to listen.

Okay, now we've got that out of the way here's how to Listen Well. First you have to shut your mouth. Then you have to open your ears. And then you have to keep your mouth shut and keep your ears open, even if what you hear is absolute monkey dribble. The reason you have to do this is so that, on the odd chance something important or useful or beautiful is said, you will be in a position to let it into your mind and either act on it or remember it for later.

So, in summary - keep your ears open so that you can sift through the rocks and stones on the riverbed and find the gold nuggets when they come along. Gold is everywhere - even in the random mutterings of strangers on a bus, or drunkards sat on walls outside pubs and bars, or politicians debating policy in the house of cards they call government, or even your close relatives and friends. The only thing you need to do is listen, sift and save.

Well, I hope that you managed to get something valuable from that. But if you didn't, then ask yourself: am I sure that I was listening? Really?

Well, that's all for now. Read the next part for more How to tips and tricks. Until then - have fun.

Right, you can stop listening now. I've done.