Listen Up!
September 15th 2006 05:29
“Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.”
There are those who will listen and consider words of experience, and there are those who are completely content with the wisdom (or lack therof) they already have.
Listening is a great skill, developed by few people. It is not a skill greatly developed in schools of late, as children are given the right to express themselves over and above the rights of parents to teach and train them. There is fragmentation of society and no longer do aunts and uncles and grandparents get invited to eighteenth birthday parties. Youthful communication is receding to peer group only. This can only mean that they have to learn by experience, which can be very harsh and take an inordinate amount of time. Young people are in many ways reduced to re-inventing the wheel.
Young people, don’t be classified as a fool. Be one who looks for mentors, people of experience, people who are successful. For example, if you wish to marry, speak to those who have brought up happy and successful families. Find out what their thinking has been at various stages of their lives. What have been their secrets of success? You don’t need to settle for the pot luck chance of a broken marriage and traumatised children. You can plan carefully right from the very beginning to have a very good chance of a prosperous family life. You will need plenty of the wisdom of the ages, but it is available.
Be an active seeker of wisdom for successful relationships.
Friendship
Consider your friend. In what ways has that friend affected you? Since you have associated with him or her, what has changed in your thinking, in your attitudes, in your habits? Be specific and write it down. Take a good look at what you have written. With every friend there are changes. Are these changes for your benefit? Are these changes assisting your growth and advancement? Are they making you a more intelligent being? Are you being challenged to do better things or to slacken your ways? Are your horizons being opened up or are they being limited and reduced?
Consider this quote: “Make no friendship with an angry man……..lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” (Proverbs 22:14)
Now consider the anger base of the sitcoms on TV. Most of them derive their drama from the emotional power of anger. If you sit and watch constantly you will develop an anger base yourself. You will think it normal to respond in anger or in distancing yourself from other people. Believe me, the big companies don’t model behaviours in TV ads because they think it will not affect our behaviour and make us buy their goods. Sitcoms have the same effect. Make a close friend of them and you will adopt all their attitudes.
Is this what you really want? What attitudes do you really want? Where can you find the people who demonstrate them. Where can you find the models you really want? They are around, but probably not on TV generally speaking. (although of course there are some things worth imitating and identifying with in some programs). You have all the power of choice in your life. And down the track you have all the consequences.
Friends have a major impact. Choose carefully!
There are those who will listen and consider words of experience, and there are those who are completely content with the wisdom (or lack therof) they already have.
Listening is a great skill, developed by few people. It is not a skill greatly developed in schools of late, as children are given the right to express themselves over and above the rights of parents to teach and train them. There is fragmentation of society and no longer do aunts and uncles and grandparents get invited to eighteenth birthday parties. Youthful communication is receding to peer group only. This can only mean that they have to learn by experience, which can be very harsh and take an inordinate amount of time. Young people are in many ways reduced to re-inventing the wheel.
Young people, don’t be classified as a fool. Be one who looks for mentors, people of experience, people who are successful. For example, if you wish to marry, speak to those who have brought up happy and successful families. Find out what their thinking has been at various stages of their lives. What have been their secrets of success? You don’t need to settle for the pot luck chance of a broken marriage and traumatised children. You can plan carefully right from the very beginning to have a very good chance of a prosperous family life. You will need plenty of the wisdom of the ages, but it is available.
Be an active seeker of wisdom for successful relationships.
Friendship
Consider your friend. In what ways has that friend affected you? Since you have associated with him or her, what has changed in your thinking, in your attitudes, in your habits? Be specific and write it down. Take a good look at what you have written. With every friend there are changes. Are these changes for your benefit? Are these changes assisting your growth and advancement? Are they making you a more intelligent being? Are you being challenged to do better things or to slacken your ways? Are your horizons being opened up or are they being limited and reduced?
Consider this quote: “Make no friendship with an angry man……..lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul.” (Proverbs 22:14)
Now consider the anger base of the sitcoms on TV. Most of them derive their drama from the emotional power of anger. If you sit and watch constantly you will develop an anger base yourself. You will think it normal to respond in anger or in distancing yourself from other people. Believe me, the big companies don’t model behaviours in TV ads because they think it will not affect our behaviour and make us buy their goods. Sitcoms have the same effect. Make a close friend of them and you will adopt all their attitudes.
Is this what you really want? What attitudes do you really want? Where can you find the people who demonstrate them. Where can you find the models you really want? They are around, but probably not on TV generally speaking. (although of course there are some things worth imitating and identifying with in some programs). You have all the power of choice in your life. And down the track you have all the consequences.
Friends have a major impact. Choose carefully!
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