“I never learned anything while I was talking”
👆 My favorite Larry King quote. RIP.
He didn’t just listen to speak, he listened to understand. And he questioned with genuine curiosity about other people.
It’s an admirable skill, but also hard.
I come from a family of loud, active talkers. I’ve spent so much time talking, selling, over-explaining. It’s hard to become an active listener. It’s hard to turn off the second track — preparing to talk. But there’s a big payoff. It’s one of those skills that reinforces everything else.
This Farnam Street article has been a great guide for me. And this book and this book have been solid, practical resources.
How do you practice listening?
Built in Seattle Podcast
Next up I have interviews with RealSelf CEO, James Coyle, and then NBA Legend, Detlef Schrempf.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast
🎙 CLIPS FROM THE ARCHIVE:
Liz Pearce (CEO & Co-Founder at Fresh Chalk) on avoiding comparison:
“It’s easy to get caught in a mental loop of comparing how you are doing, what you are doing, and what you are achieving to everyone around you. [But..] you can never win that game… [So] if you can [avoid comparison and] put the blinders on a little bit to what’s happening outside, you can achieve because you just keep going.”
She went deeper at the 20-minute mark.