Take an acting class
Learn to listen.
Actors learn to really listen with their whole body. The Meisner Technique in particular helps to learn to read behavior more than listening to the words. Words ride on top of behavior for actors. What Meisner means by “An ounce of behavior is worth a pound of words,” is that words can deceive both the speaker and listener but behavior cannot.
For example, only say, “Hello, how are you” but imagine saying that to your boss who you know is going to fire you. Then imagine saying it to your secret crush. The words do not change, the behavior does.
Learning to listen fully can help non-performers as well. Any contemporary business self help book will mention listening. I recently heard the author Kate Murphy talk about her book, You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters on The Gray Area podcast. In her book she discusses the larger implications for society when we don’t listen. The problem is culturally deep. But like all problems the way to solve it is, poco a poco, bit by bit.
There are many ways to improve your listening, but taking an acting class is among the more interesting. Learn to listen with empathy, to be more attentive to those around you and to be more comfortable with yourself.
Learn to listen fully. Take an acting class.
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