Do we listen? Not really, not always. The earliest piece of advice I received was: talk less and listen more. As young students, our attention in the class room was scattered and we listened less and less to what the teacher taught.

  Listening is the first step in learning. Not just in the class rooms, we can learn from the world around us by listening. As adolescents, we ignored our parents and listened to our friends. At middle age we fail to listen to the wise counsel. At an old age we regret we had not listened to our well-wishers.

  Listening is giving attention, undivided attention, with concentration, absorbing the message. When we listen, we show our respect for the person with whom we interact.

  Communication is complete only when we understand the other man’s words with all its intent and passion. Failure in communication happens often because of lack of respect for the other man, an....