Tell Me Moore

Listening to each other is the key for a successful relationship. I'm taking a few marketing classes right now and could see that successful companies in the past in presence were not the ones that advertised the most but those who listened to their customers and tried to satisfy their needs and wants. But it's not only in the money-driven world where listening matters. When you're in a relationship, doesn't it feel good to sometimes just talk about what's on your mind, like how your day was, and your partner asks you to tell more about it? By being an active listener and not just smile and nod, both sides of the conversation win. The listener gets to know the real person and its real problems, thoughts, etc. And the speaking person can "talk all her/his problems" away.

In regard to the inquiry, I think that both sides, teachers and students should sometimes dare to ask each other to "tell me more". It might be easier for the teachers to really understand how their students are like and what makes to them think in the way they do think. Students on the other side could profit by seeing that there is a real person behind the "plain" instructur. Ueland writes about a creative fountain that is in all of us. Starting that fountain to accelarate is tough, but can lead to surprising results. It should be a goal for teachers and students to keep this fountain running. However, from my personal student point of view, there are sometimes days when "this little fountain is muddied over and covered with a lot of debris". In other words, sometimes there are days when you're just not as creative as on other days. Both sides should respect that.

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