We have all entertained  others  in lots of different ways…which usually involves a bit of effort on  our part…like making a dinner…or…having a party…or…telling a joke…or relating a story….but…entertain by just listening???

Think about it…there are people who like to entertain sometimes…and there are people who enjoy being entertained…sometimes…and we have all met the people who seem to entertain …all the time???…I am not talking about paid entertainers…but rather…family members…or…friends…or acquaintances who talk…talk…talk…Those people who talk all the time and never stop.

I wonder…could it be that they have so much bottled up… that when in the company of others…they just have to share???….Could it be that they dread those moments of silence that might occur if they stop talking???….or…Maybe they enjoy having a constant audience …maybe they get some kind of positive reinforcement from it….Hmmm…one might say that they seem very self absorbed…but…could it be that they have no idea what they are doing?????..If someone were to tell them….you monopolize conversations… you never let anyone else talk…do you think they would be horrified??

Could it be …the only way to entertain such folk …is to listen to them…or…at least seem to listen???…Have you ever spent time with someone like that…only to come home and realize…they never asked you one question???…That although they have told you tons about themselves…they have learned nothing about you…

Many years ago I had a good friend…we used to sit for hours chatting…till one day I actually listened…What I realized is that we were having two very separate conversations ..we were each just waiting for the other to stop talking…to then get our words in…neither of us really ever heard the other… yet to an outsider it would have looked like a normal conversation taking place…It was then I had to say something to her….and I told her what I just realized…we were not having a conversation at all…we were having two!!!…Interesting how after that…our chats totally changed…We had no idea we had gotten into such a habit and it never happened again.

Oh no…what about me???….I don’t think I monopolize conversations…do I???….Although  I will admit …I do like to talk??…Yes..and  I do occasionally interrupt others when talking…but I am working on that…Could it be that listening is the only way to entertain me????…Hmmm…I suppose knowing that to be a possibility…is the first step to improvement.

Have you ever considered ..is your entertainment …others listening to you????