You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters

by Kate Murphy

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Has reading You’re Not Listening changed how you listen? In what way? 2. What was the most surprising thing you learned about listening? 3. Do you think listening is a skill you are born with or one you develop? 4. Who do you have trouble listening to? Why? 5. Who do you enjoy listening to? Why? 6. Do you find some situations or environments more or less conducive to listening than others? 7. Who’s the best/worst listener in your life? What makes that person a good/bad listener? 8. Do you recall a time when you didn’t listen but wish you had? 9. Do you recall a time when you were glad you listened? Like maybe when someone gave you good advice or said something that tipped you off that the speaker was untrustworthy? 10. Are there certain topics of conversation that make you more or less likely to listen? What rivets your attention and what makes you shut down? 11. When do you think it’s okay to stop listening to someone?