Quotes & Sayings About Listening To Your Partner

Develop and exercise the ability to understand your partner's point of view so completely that you're able to believe them. Keep listening until you get their point of view so entirely that you understand how it is true for them. — Beth Banning

The whiff of whatever I'd gotten in the ladies' room had definitely taken a big chunk out of any embarrassment I may have had left. Tonight had been my first time in a big-city club of any kind, let alone a strip or sex club. I had questions, was intensely curious, and between the clover weed and my partner's hands all over me less than a half hour before, I wasn't the least bit shy anymore about asking those questions. The little voice in my head was frantically waving for me to stop. I kicked the door shut on my little voice. Party pooper.
I half turned on my tuffet toward Ian, my right leg crossing over my left, also toward Ian. My little voice was banging on the door and screaming at me.
"Are people listening with our table anymore?" I whispered.
Ian glanced at the glowing surface. "No."
"Good. So, what is it with men and titty bars? — Lisa Shearin

The only problem with not talking to oneself was that oneself was the most fascinating conversational partner one could imagine. Nobody had more patience in listening to one than oneself, and while nobody knew one better than oneself, nobody misunderstood one more than oneself. — Viet Thanh Nguyen

I do find that if I go out for a meal I can be listening to a few conversations at once all around me. It can drive my partner bonkers a little bit. But it's about being able to tell a lot of very different stories as well as you can and I do genuinely love what I do. — Christine Bottomley

Watch the actors who are on a very high frequency, very alert to everything and very much in touch with their feelings -- simple. Acting should be economical and simple. It's not complicated. So many actors make it complicated, fill it with screaming, yelling, crying, a lot of emotion but no real inner action, no real focus. Actors who have good technique are pursuing a very simple objective. They know what they're listening for, they know what they're looking for. They know what the obstacles are that stand in the way and what they're doing to get what they want. They allow themselves to respond right off their partner, spontaneously.

Acting is not difficult. It's simply a matter of defining the action. — Michael Beckett

It is precisely when we hear little from our partner which frightens, shocks, or sickens us that we should begin to be concerned, for this may be the surest sign that we are being gently lied to or shielded from the other's imagination, whether out of kindness or from a touching fear of losing our love. It may mean that we have, despite ourselves, shut our ears to information that fails to conform to our hopes - hopes which will thereby be endangered all the more. My view of human nature is that all of us are just holding it together in various ways - and that's okay, and we just need to go easy with one another, knowing that we're all these incredibly fragile beings. — Alain De Botton

The role of self: Now we come to the role behind all roles: the role of self. In this moment of meditation practice you have the opportunity to observe yourself as you begin to speak. What self is speaking? At what point do you inhabit the role of "me"? What is it like to be that "me"? As you listen, are you listening through a filter of conditioning? Is that a self? I invite you to take the time in your practice to speak from silence and to listen deeply. What remains when you step out of roles, even for an instant? As the mind tumbles forward in the Pause, does it have to land in an identity in order to relate to your meditation partner or partners? In the changing moment of Trust Emergence, is there any role or anyone to believe in it? — Gregory Kramer

Relationships, like all human experiences, are transient; they change every day and are meant to be enjoyed in the present. When I hear people say you need to "work" at a relationship, what that often really means is just seeing through the day-to-day; listening to another person, listening to yourself, not getting stuck on hurts from the past, and not getting lost in what might come. To be in a relationship with someone you respect, care about and value is a gift, and when you take that in the day-to-day, you honor yourself and your partner each day. Eating is no different in that you can honor yourself at each meal. So much time in relationships is spent hashing the past, and arguing about things that haven't yet happened. A relationship cannot be "hoarded", just like a meal cannot be prolonged by taking home the leftovers. — Ramani Durvasula

The first purpose of any small talk conversation is to show your partner the reason why the conversation is being held in the first place. Your conversation partner will know you better when he/ she has an idea of what you're trying to express. In this way, the first purpose is all about presenting a gift and should not be handled lightly. You might miss the opportunity if you pretend like you're giving your partner the right information, or giving him/ her what you think they want to hear. The second reason for engaging in small talk conversation is to get familiar with your partner. This entails giving them the opportunity to speak without interrupting them or sharing your own interests. Your listening skills have to be effective for you to maximize your opportunities for understanding your partner. — Jack Steel