Talking is More Prevalent

We need to learn and teach people that listening and observing is more important than talking. I realized this morning that we adults are teaching children to talk instead. We can say to be quiet but our actions are saying the other.

I was finishing teaching Junior Achievement when I realized this. I have been teaching a 5-session course to two 5th grade classes at one of the local public schools. I have noticed how many times I have to ask for quiet. At first one would say that this reflects the social/economic type of the students’ homes. However, I also see this in a 6th grade Sunday school that I teach periodically in an upper income church. This morning I realized that children are imitating adults.

Stop to think about this. Do people see you being silent, observing and listening? Do they see you talking directly or indirectly to others? Admit that answering emails and sending text messages is talking. How many children see adults interrupting other adults? How many watched people engaged in close conversation or using cell phones instead of listening during the State of the Union address? How many in North Carolina saw cell phone usage and close conversations during the State of the State Address? What actions do people, especially children see at concerts, lectures, meetings, and even church? How many of these actions are done in business meetings, become routine and so are being done in public places for children to see?

I learned long time ago that I can either be learning by listening and seeing or I can be talking. Our country has a number of problems. We need to get back to conversations. Conversations are where we do more listening and seeing than talking.