Seth Godin:
Live interaction still matters. Teachers, meetings, presentations, one on one brainstorms–they can lead to real change. The listener has nearly as big a responsibility as the speaker does, though. And yet, Google reports four times as many matches for “how to speak” as “how to listen.” It’s not a passive act, not if you want to do it right.
I’ve learned more and progressed most as a person when actively listening to others. Listening allows us to consider viewpoints that our limited, self-centered minds might otherwise prevent.