In life, there are certain things that a person is good at; the things they think they are good at; and some things a person is very, very bad at. Dating; for example, it's an activity that a man may think he's good at when it may actually be a very bad date. Has anyone ever bothered to tell him? Probably, but what the man will hear is that the woman has too much personal baggage and decides he doesn't want to bother with her anyway. In this way, he avoided listening to the message she gave him and saved face. The woman, thinking that the man must be dense, moves away. The communication problem really comes from both parties. Both parties must understand that the information shared between them constitutes an exchange of common symbols, signs, or behaviors (Merriam-Webster). If they don't pay attention; take into consideration; or hearing something with thoughtful attention; so they didn't listen (Merriam-Webster). Due to an inability to communicate properly and listen to what is being communicated, this couple was destined to separate. In fact, all of our relationships – with family, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers – will be affected by our ability to listen and communicate. By learning to identify the bad habits that distract us from listening; we will be able to increase our ability to listen and focus on what the communicator is saying, rather than what we think they intend to say. In order to be an effective listener, we must be able to identify the traits that deter a person from listening and the specific techniques that can be used to become better listeners. The most common bad habit in listening is interruption. Many times when the subject is not interesting...... middle of paper ......e B Rosenfeld and Proctor F Russell II. Interplay, the process of interpersonal communication. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Dr. George Simon, PhD. “Selective Listening and Attention: Hearing What You Want to Hear as a Manipulation Tactic.” » Consulting resource. March 30, 2009. Consulting resource. November 24, 2011. .Merriam-Webster. "Communication." Mariam-Webster. November 20, 2011<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication>.Merriam-Webster. "Listen." Mariam-Webster. November 20, 2011<http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Listen>.Meyer, Paul J. "The Art of Creative Listening - Are You Listening or Listening?" Article dashboard. November 24 2011