If you don’t agree with them, you just ignore them. Or debate them. Or cancel them. Why even listen?
In this current cancel cultural, people rarely feel like listening. So, why should we listen when we can simply turn the channel, unfriend, and unfollow? Should we cancel people, places, and things at times? Yes! But only after addressing the ethos, logos, and pathos of the issue at hand. Then go ahead, press the cancel button!
However, let’s not go so far that we simply refuse to strengthen our capacity for tolerance or our ability to listen actively. Come on, let’s grow up. At some point, we all need take a look at this worn out button and recognize that we are overusing it. Don’t we?
We have moved on from holding up a palm and saying “talk to the hand” as a form of saying, “I don’t want to hear you. Don’t even talk because we’re not listening,” to pushing the cancel button. The cancel button has become our go-to for not listening.
Warning. Stop! Danger! When we overuse this button, we lose opportunities to increase our knowledge and grow. The ability to listen can help you to develop your critical thinking skills and improve your relationships. This doesn’t mean that we will always or ever agree, but listening helps shape our civility.
Laura D. Harver is the founder and CEO of Harver Edge, LLC, the Innovative Solutionista™, and a credentialed Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation (ICF). She covers topics centered around leadership, health & well-being (individual, family, organizational), diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and legacy development.
