You can do the same thing yourself. Just learn how to listen. You can try turning it into a contest for yourself. See how long you can let someone else talk before you open your mouth and speak. Maybe you will meet a new person or customer at a community event. Just let them talk. If you're meeting them one-on-one, maybe at an open house, just let them talk and talk and talk. Just smile, listen to them, and see how long you can go before interrupting or replying. Most people avoid silence. The less you say, the harder they will work to fill up the empty spaces in the conversation. Think of how much you'll learn about the other person! You'll learn what they like — things you can touch on to bond with them. You'll discover their dislikes — things to avoid in future conversations. You'll find out what they think about things — their hopes and goals, fears and insecurities. All of these things help define your role as a friend. How can you help these people? How can you support their goals? How can you put them at ease? You can train yourself to become a good listener. A good listener will run circles at making friends around somebody who talks a lot about themselves. Then, become genuinely interested in other people. Listen to them. Talk to them. If they say something you agree with or that reflects your own ideas, it's easy to be genuinely interested in what they have to talk about. Even if they say something you disagree with or that sounds strange, learn to appreciate how and why they developed those ideas. It's been said that we learn the most from the people who are the least like us. Learning about the differences in people can be interesting.
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