By Dave Kerpen, Founder and CEO, Apprentice@davekerpen <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock Images</a> I've talked with Inc. before about the power of listening in social media. But the truth is, listening isn't just for social media. If there's one skill that we all can get better at, to become better leaders, entrepreneurs, friends, and human beings, it's listening. Recently, I shared 365 quotes from some of the greatest leaders, writers and thinkers of all time. Here are 15 of my favorite quotes about the all-important skill of listening: - "Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you'd have preferred to talk." --Doug Larson
- "One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say." --Bryant H. McGill
- "If you make listening and observation your occupation, you will gain much more than you can by talk." --Robert Baden-Powell
- "Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand." --Karl A. Menniger
- "Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking." --Bernard Baruch
- "Listening is being able to be changed by the other person." --Alan Alda
- "Everything in writing begins with language. Language begins with listening." --Jeanette Winterson
- "There is as much wisdom in listening as there is in speaking--and that goes for all relationships, not just romantic ones." --Daniel Dae Kim
- "The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn't said" --Peter Drucker
- "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." --Ernest Hemingway
- "Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply." --Stephen R. Covey
- "Friends are those rare people who ask how we are, and then wait to hear the answer." --Ed Cunningham
- "The art of conversation lies in listening." --Malcom Forbes
- "You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time." --M. Scott Peck
- "We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less." --Diogenes
What is your favorite quote about listening? Let me know in the Comments section below, or tweet it! I'll be listening to you! The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com. 103 listening quotes, film quotes, movie lines, taglines “People want leadership, Mr. President, and in the absence of genuine leadership, they'll listen to anyone who steps up to the microphone.”
“Active listening, I hate active listeners. I always feel like they're to busy pretending to be listening to hear what I'm saying.”
“- Michael Green: I love her. And I tried everything, except really listening, really listening, and that's how I left her alone. I was so ashamed of that, and I couldn't even tell her. Maybe if I tell her she'd love me anyway.
- Alice Green: Or more. She would have loved you even more. I think you should tell all this stuff to your wife.”
“- Superman: Listen; what do you hear?- Lois Lane: Nothing. - Superman: I hear everything. You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior, but every day I hear people crying for one.”
“- Michelle Dubois: Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once.
- René: Well, in that case, could you please speak slowly?”
“Your heart understood mine. In the depth of the fragrant night, I listened with ravished soul to your beloved voice. Your heart understood mine.”
“Softly, deftly, music shall caress you. Hear it, feel it secretly possess you.”
“She gave me a bunch of crap about me not listening to her, or something. I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention.”
“- Jason Alexander: Damn, it's quiet out here! I should've brought my radio.
- Lyric: No, it's not quiet. It's full of music. Just listen.” “Listen. Can you hear it? The music. I can hear it everywhere. In the wind, in the air, in the light. It's all around us. All you have to do is open yourself up. All you have to do is listen.”
“- Anakin Skywalker: An angel. I've heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They live on the moons of Lego, I think. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe.
- Queen Amidala: You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?
- Anakin Skywalker: I listen to all the traders and star pilots who come through here. I'm a pilot, you...” (continue)(continue reading)
“There's so much diversity of opinion out there, so ultimately you have to listen to it, put it aside, and make what you want to make.”
“The whole world is singing, clicking, grinding, whistling, and thumping... but we've stopped listening.”
“All the problems of the world are caused by people who do not listen.”
“I had lost my sight, but I got something back in return. My remaining four senses functioned with superhuman sharpness. But most amazing of all, my sense of sound gave off a kind of radar sense!”
“Listen. A slowly passing train is so romantic.”
“If I wanted to listen to an asshole, I'd fart.”
“- Bernie Mermelstein: Don't you think you're kind of over reacting about a dumb letter? There's a lot of nut cases running around shootin' their mouths off.
- Mel Mermelstein: Yes. And sometimes people listen to them.” “- The Narrator: When people think you're dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just...
- Marla Singer: Instead of just waiting for their turn to speak?”
“Pain is how your body talks to you. You'd do well to listen to it.”
“- Judge Benjamin Caulfield: It's always been a game, only now the bad guys have a stronger team, got a better draft.- Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin: You know I took a lot of notes in your class and I can never remember you saying anything quite like that. - Judge Benjamin Caulfield: You should have taken fewer notes and listened more.”
“- Lord Caversham: Do you always understand everything you say?
- Lord Arthur Goring: Yes... if I listen attentively.
- Lord Caversham: Conceited young puppy!”
“- Simon: I don't like to talk.
- Rachel: Perfect. I don't like to listen.”
“Just because I'm looking at you when you talk, don't think I'm listening - or even interested.”
“- Ben Shepard: Thank you for talking to me.
- Sharon Solarz: Thank you for listening.”
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