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Ms. Headlee 's Speech

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Ms. Headlee’s speech was intriguing and brought up some very interesting components to listening that I have not thought of before. One important thing that Ms. Headlee had said was to not pretend that you’re listening when you actually aren’t. This is called pseudolistening and our book calls it “pretend listening” (Rothwell 150) Pseudolistening is when you are looking at someone while they are talking and responding with ”Mmm-hmm” or even saying “really” (Rothwell 150) It appears as though you are intently listening when in reality you are not. If you are doing this you are not only a bad listener but also disrespectful towards the person who is talking. Ms. Headlee also emphasized the importance of active listening. As defined in our book, “Active listening is mindful, not mindless. It requires focused attention” (Rothwell 151) Being mindful means that you are conscious and aware of what the person is saying. That means that you are listening and ready to respond to what is being said. If you are actively listening you will be able to build onto the conversation by making comments, asking questions, and responding to what they are saying. One thing that was said that I don’t necessarily fully agree with is when Ms. Headlee said that you should not respond to the other person 's’ experience with your own experiences. I feel as though in certain situations this okay to do and would result in a better conversation. Although, I do agree that some things you should

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