An Eminently Usable Quote

In spite of the fact that some quotations are just too contextual to be used as brief texts of wisdom, many quotes remain, of course, highly usable. Such is this one from the book The Lost Art of Listening:

When you demonstrate a willingness to listen with a minimum of defensiveness, criticism, or impatience, you are giving the gift of understanding -- and earning the right to have it reciprocated.