I think of how often, during my talks, someone raises a hand and says, “I disagree with what you just said.” Eight times out of ten, they did not hear what I said. Normally, they don’t have the humility to ask, in a non-accusatory way: “Did I hear you correctly in saying ... ?” or “What do you mean when you say ... ?” The assumption is seldom that they could have heard me wrong. The assumption is usually that I am wrong. Such a mentality never encourages dialogue or mutuality.
