"Speak less. Listen more."

I experienced a culture shock in my second year of college.

We were having our first semester abroad, which meant that we would attend lectures and learn in English as if we had been living there for years. However, the transition from my native language to English was difficult; I quickly realized that I had little understanding of what was happening in class or outside of it.

One day, our professor posted a chart on the board with a single statement: "Speak less. Listen more." It struck me how true this phrase is and how many people are trying to teach these words but don't realize just how profound they are.

I appreciate my professor at the time for knowing what I needed and could have done with some help; I may have had a better understanding if I had been allowed to ask for help, but all he wanted to do was make sure we understood the material. He was a calming presence in a world that was always changing and I know that this helped me in the long run. Though he only wanted to make sure each of his students understood, he did it so naturally that it wasn't forced nor did it feel like it wasn't welcomed. Instead, he listened to our concerns and made comments from time to time.

I have always known this phrase by its Latin name, "socius," which means "lover. " This is because I have always had a passion for listening to others and trying to understand them. However, this has always been overlooked and it was hard for me to know what people were thinking.

I am someone who cannot sit and listen without being able to contribute to the conversation in some way; therefore, it is difficult for me to listen to what others have to say. I believe that life is not about talking, but listening more; and this is why my professor's simple statement was so memorable: "Speak less. Listen more. " I have adopted that phrase and placed it into my entire life, not just the classroom.

For example, I have always had a problem with raising my hand and calling on myself when I have something to contribute to a class discussion. Instead, I would listen for someone else who wanted to speak or call on someone. It was hard for me to raise my hand, but this is why I now do so because it will help me learn instead of me trying to learn and contribute at the same time.

In addition, this helped me throughout my interviews with job recruiters. I think, "Maybe they will just answer and ask me a question, then I can just nod and not have to make a decision." However, this is less likely because we have been trained to be assertive in our interviews. Instead of being afraid of the consequences that can come with saying something wrong or forgetting what to say at all, I will simply be respectful and listen to their questions.

There is so much more to this simple statement than just listening in class; it speaks more about our society today. We are always expected to be heard when it comes to our viewpoints and how we feel about many different things. There is some truth in this because everyone has a story to tell, every person is different, and everyone's voice needs to be heard. They all have something different to say and something that they believe can change the world.

However, we do not always need the world to hear us. We instead should listen more than speak because it can help us learn and understand what others are saying. I am someone who loves listening and understanding others; therefore, I found a lot of people who were similar to me at my university. It was a great way for us to connect with one another and know how others were feeling about certain things.

I am not saying that we should not speak out and stand up for what we believe; however, there is a time and place for it. We do not always need to be heard, but instead need to listen more than anything. This can lead us to finding the answers that we are looking for instead of being too eager to give our opinions on certain issues.

It is important for us to think of others before ourselves because this is how we can connect with one another as humans without making it all about what makes us different from each other. I have found this phrase very helpful in many aspects and I hope many others will find it just as helpful as well.

Thank you for reading and I hope you found this post helpful. If you would like to learn more about me, please have a look at my personal website at http://www.blueskyannes.com

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For more information about me, check out my personal website: http://www.blueskyannes.com/

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Conclusion

The material in the log was written over a period of time and recorded as best I could. All course work has been done by instruction during the time I have been in the Navy, but no one can fully write or remember all that they have seen, heard and learned.

The log will be transcribed into a more readable format if it is chosen for a book or publication. The first portion of the log is based on my real life experiences, with regards to my observation of people and some of the interactions that took place during my Naval career. This material appears in a chronological format to present myself in order as best I can remember events from not too long ago...