Are you really listening?

From A Thousand Waves by David K Reynolds

"What do you do?" he asked.

“I listen; I teach,” was the reply.

“You listen? What kind of work is that?”

“Just listening.”

“People pay you to listen?”

“Don’t you think listening is worth something?”

“Well, I never thought of it that way…”

"That is what I do. I listen; I teach. Just now."

"Just now?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I see."

"Thank you."

"You are an unusual person."

"Thank you."

Good teaching often involves helping students see the limitations of their questions. Looking at our questions helps us see the boundaries we have drawn in our lives.