If you have difficulty truly listening, you’ll probably could benefit from practicing.

The key is to pay attention to what the other person is saying instead of thinking about reacting. Try practicing a little at a time in one of the following ways. If you do this, do so in a relaxed way, not straining or trying too hard.

Here are a couple of exercises:

1a - Choose a close friend and tell him or her that you’re goal is to be a better listener and that you’d like their assistance.

1b - As your friend to tell you to share with you some controversial opinion they have - particularly one you’re liable not to agree with — and listen to them in a relaxed way, but intently

1c - Repeat back to them what you think you heard them saying and ask how you did and what you may have missed.

1d - Try this with a couple of friends and repeat this until you see improvement.

2a - Record 15 minutes a cable news commentary show, preferably one that contains commentary you don’t agree with (e.g. Fox News, MSNBC - whatever)

2b - After listening to the show, write down the main points you thought you heard.

2c - Play the recording back and grade yourself on a scale of 1–5, with 5 meaning you caught the main points

2d - Repeat this exercise daily or until you find yourself improving.

Happy listening!