"I am listening to him not only because I want to know what is inside him or to give him advice. I am listening to him just because I want to relieve his suffering." You have to listen in such a way that compassion remains with you the whole time you are listening. . . . If you can listen like that for one hour, the other person will feel much better.
If you don't feel that you can continue to listen in this way, ask your friend, "Dear one, can we continue in a few days? I need to renew myself. I need to practice so I can listen to you in the best way I can."
— Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching