Guilty of Logorrhea
Lagorrhea: excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness. (Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20 (NIV)
I am an observer of human behaviour. I think I might have enjoyed a degree in sociology. But alas, my natural science leanings pushed me down a different career path. Nonetheless, people watching (and listening) fascinates me. I've even caught myself eavesdropping on strangers' conversations during my public transit days. It is amazing what you can learn about people through their somewhat random dialogues.
A while back I posted on a movie entitled Fight Club. The reason I mention it again is that I've been mulling over a scene between two of the main characters. They were discussing why they enjoyed attending support groups even through they were both pretending to be ill.
Narrator: When people think you're dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just...
Marla Singer: - instead of just waiting for their turn to speak?
In May of this year, a friend of mine lost her battle with cancer and passed from this world into the next. It still seems surreal to me, partially because I wasn't able to attend the funeral due to a family reunion and a sick son. But I remember my conversations with her during her final days. I really listened to her, more than I have ever listened to her. What I had to say was secondary. I just desired for her to be open and honest with me.
The truth is, genuine listeners are hard to find. Over the past couple months, I've had many interactions with different groups of people. And based on my observations, there are several people out there who just want to add their two cents of information for the sake of conversation. Or they are the type of person who thoroughly enjoys inundating others with advice. As a result, the conversation goes on indefinitely about the same topic with no real substance. In the end, a whole hour's worth of babble can be summarized by a couple of sentences. Kind of pathetic, if you ask me.
Mind you, large group discussions can be a very difficult space to encourage inclusiveness. There is usually a few individuals who talk on and on and on, regardless of topic. And there is usually a few individuals who don't say a word, either because they are uninterested, bored, or too shy to speak up. The challenge is to exhort the talkers to listen and to encourage the listeners to talk.
Keep in mind, I am just as guilty of the crime of logorrhea. Get me with the right crowd, and my verbosity increases to the point of inconsideration. I ignore the silent. I compete with the loquacious.
I don't want to be that person. I desire to embody the attributes depicted in the Book of James: quick to listen; slow to speak; and slow to become angry.
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20 (NIV)
I am an observer of human behaviour. I think I might have enjoyed a degree in sociology. But alas, my natural science leanings pushed me down a different career path. Nonetheless, people watching (and listening) fascinates me. I've even caught myself eavesdropping on strangers' conversations during my public transit days. It is amazing what you can learn about people through their somewhat random dialogues.
A while back I posted on a movie entitled Fight Club. The reason I mention it again is that I've been mulling over a scene between two of the main characters. They were discussing why they enjoyed attending support groups even through they were both pretending to be ill.
Narrator: When people think you're dying, they really, really listen to you, instead of just...
Marla Singer: - instead of just waiting for their turn to speak?
In May of this year, a friend of mine lost her battle with cancer and passed from this world into the next. It still seems surreal to me, partially because I wasn't able to attend the funeral due to a family reunion and a sick son. But I remember my conversations with her during her final days. I really listened to her, more than I have ever listened to her. What I had to say was secondary. I just desired for her to be open and honest with me.
The truth is, genuine listeners are hard to find. Over the past couple months, I've had many interactions with different groups of people. And based on my observations, there are several people out there who just want to add their two cents of information for the sake of conversation. Or they are the type of person who thoroughly enjoys inundating others with advice. As a result, the conversation goes on indefinitely about the same topic with no real substance. In the end, a whole hour's worth of babble can be summarized by a couple of sentences. Kind of pathetic, if you ask me.
Mind you, large group discussions can be a very difficult space to encourage inclusiveness. There is usually a few individuals who talk on and on and on, regardless of topic. And there is usually a few individuals who don't say a word, either because they are uninterested, bored, or too shy to speak up. The challenge is to exhort the talkers to listen and to encourage the listeners to talk.
Keep in mind, I am just as guilty of the crime of logorrhea. Get me with the right crowd, and my verbosity increases to the point of inconsideration. I ignore the silent. I compete with the loquacious.
I don't want to be that person. I desire to embody the attributes depicted in the Book of James: quick to listen; slow to speak; and slow to become angry.