#7: A leopard will never change its spots - I can never be a good listener because I simply enjoy talking.
The friends I used to make: I talk, they listen.
The friends that I now make: They talk, I listen.
So while on the trip, one of them just kept blabbering on and on even though I was already too sick and tired to listen. All the grouses, politically correct answers, sentences that has an inevitable "BUT" inaccurate facts kinda irk me but then again, travelling requires you to show patience and I am glad I managed to. That made me reflect on my own conversations with others. Do I have the tendency to have a lot of "BUTs" when I talk? I know "HOWEVER" and "NEVERTHELESS" are common connectors that appear in my writing. Economics has taught me to always question my own point of view or argument and consider a balanced argument. Intellectually, it is desirable. HOWEVER, it is rather irritating in reality when you converse with someone else, isn't it?
A few years ago, I thought I enjoy being the listener in a friendship or relationship. After this trip and in my recent meet ups with some of my oldest buddies and friends, I realise that I am most comfortable with these people because they always listen. :) I do not dominate the conversations but at least they truly listen when I tell them my inner thoughts, feelings and struggles and vice versa. I realise that I am simply someone who loves to talk for long hours - not treating it as a form of complaint but to really get perspectives from other people and I am a strong believer of communication. So when someone simply dominates a conversation (the "they talk, I listen" kind), I get bored after some time and feel disengaged. I guess I tend to keep them at a distance because they never truly listen to my side of the story or do not know me well enough. They nod to whatever that you say out of courtesy and not of genuine concern about your life. Hypocrisy is too strong a word to use and accommodating is too kind a word to describe these people. The exception is when they are really knowledgeable and impress me with all their intellect. LOL. I am a nerd, don't forget.
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