I Talk All the Time, but Who Listens?

What Happens When Someone Truly Listens to You?

Pause for a moment.

What is it like when someone really listens to you?
Not waiting to reply.  Not judging.
Not interrupting. Not comparing your story with theirs.

Just listening.

You feel lighter.  You feel seen.
You feel respected.  You feel… human.

That experience is powerful. And it has a name in coaching and leadership circles: Appreciative Inquiry.

But let’s be honest.

Strip away the jargon, and what is Appreciative Inquiry really?

It is deep, intentional listening.

Not passive silence.  Not polite nodding.
But listening with curiosity, appreciation, and belief in the other person’s potential.

When someone listens this way, something shifts.

Defensiveness drops.  Creativity rises.
Confidence returns.  Hope expands.

Why?

Because being heard affirms our existence.
It validates our emotions.
It tells us, “You matter.”

And here is the key insight:

Listening is not soft.
Listening is strategic.

In leadership, in business, in family life, the person who listens deeply gains influence naturally. People open up. They trust. They cooperate. They commit.

This is exactly what a high Love Intelligence (LQ) person practises daily.

A high-LQ person understands that:

• Care begins with listening.

• Courage includes hearing truths that may be uncomfortable.

• Connection is built through presence, not persuasion.

At work, they listen before they decide.
At home, they listen before they react.
With clients, they listen before they sell.
With children, they listen before they correct.

And here’s the paradox:

When you listen, people become happier.
When people are happier, they become more cooperative.
When they are cooperative, outcomes improve.

So listening is not just kindness.
It is performance-enhancing.

In an AI era where everyone talks, posts, and broadcasts, the rarest skill is not speaking — it is listening.

If you want to practise Love Intelligence starting today, begin here:

In your next conversation, say less.
Ask one sincere question.
Then listen without interrupting.

You may discover that real power was never in your words, 
it was in your attention.

That is Love Intelligence in action.  Watch Andy Ng live in action on 1 March Sunday 1.30 to 3.30 pm at Bras Brasah Complex 03-01, at here  https://asiatrainers.org/talk