A lot of us have been in situations where we are faced with one form of conflict or the other. In this world, every human is dissimilar in their own way - their school of thought, their background, their political inclination, religion, tribe, etc. All these are part of the things that can create disagreement between one person and the other. However, with understanding, you will discover that there are still ways to peacefully coexist with others without giving room to conflict. Just to let you know, peace does not only mean absence of conflict, but it also means the presence of understanding, harmony, and respect.
Image from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/illustrations/listen-to-listen-ear-training-6395768)
One of the most potent tools to bring about peace, which has been heavily overlooked, is listening. There was a time my friend was having a chat with me and in the course of the chat, he complained about his girlfriend and how she was always in misunderstanding with her. So I had to ask him a couple of questions, and from his response, I got to find out where the challenge was coming from. He was just not listening to her and she was not also listening to him. There is a difference between hearing and listening which some may not know. They were actually not listening to understand, rather to argue, and that was the major cause of the disagreement.
I had to give him a couple of advice and told him that both of them cannot be claiming to be right at the same time. One has to lead the way towards the path of understanding. More so, if both of them are talking at the same time, they will not hear themselves. In addition, I also explained to him that a lot of ladies are built in a way that they love to express themselves verbally and want to be heard, and that he should give her that platform to be heard. After that day, he learnt how to listen to understand and not to argue. Adorably, the advice worked for them. Listening is not just about giving your ears and paying attention, it also includes an active expression of maturity and empathy.
Listening is the first step towards resolving conflict, establishing peace, and building bridges instead of walls. When you listening attentively and critically, you do more than just hearing sounds, you also hear emotions, hope, fears, and even the silent feelings that are inside the spoken words. A lot of disputes that arise in relationships, places of work, families, and even communities, arise as a result of misunderstanding or lack or understanding. When you truly listen, you send a powerful message to the person that they matter, and that their words count. This act, though very simply, can turn away anger, soften the heart, and build the required foundation for peace and harmony.
Image from [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/illustrations/woman-face-discussion-communicate-8727966)
In order to unlock the power of understanding through listening, you have to start by being humble. It takes a level of humility to be able to pause your opinion, keep away your judgement in order to be able to hear what the other person has to say. It is humility that makes you to listen with the intent to understand, not just to reply or to argue. Humility is what brings out the humanity in us. When you learn to listen to understand, you will discover the answers to the questions you would have asked. Listening also creates room for connection between people, thereby turning conversation into a bridge, rather than into battlefield.
Listening to understand is not just about what is being said, but being present in the conversation. This includes aligning your facial expression, body languages, and other nonverbal tools of communication into the conversation. There is a feeling of sense of value that is derived when you know that someone is giving you their undivided attention. When people feel heard, they will become more open to hearing from others, thereby leading to more peace and understanding. In relationship for example, when each of the parties learn to listen to each other, it will reduce the likelihood of misunderstanding that may arise. A lot of the things that lead to misunderstanding are the things that can easily be resolved by listening attentively.
***Thanks for reading***
Peace on y'all
