Many interpersonal skills are not applied effectively because listening skills are ignored, forgotten, or just taken for granted. Although it's something we've done all our lives, paradoxically, few of us do it well.

Often, listening is confused with hearing, that is, merely picking up sound vibrations. Listening is making sense out of what we hear. It requires paying attention, differentiating sound stimuli, and interpreting the sender's intended meaning. As we attempt to show in this chapter, listening is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice.

1. What do you think is the most important aspect of sending messages?

2. What is the passive and effective listening and what are their differences?

3. Please compare and contrast verbal and nonverbal messages.