Listening skillfully is difficult. To listen impeccably, with fixed, full attention is a discipline much like meditation. It requires practice, rigor, and resolve. And when our efforts slacken, it may require forgiveness, gentleness and sometimes a bit of creative inspiration to get ourselves back on track.
In Western culture listening has never been a prized pursuit, the way, for example, teaching or preaching has been. There will never be a Who's Who In American Listening. To pursue the desire to become a master listener, a "listening warrior," requires turning away from the dominant culture, a certain willingness to explore paths few have chosen.
— Mark Brady, The Wisdom of Listening