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Quote by Rachel Naomi Remen

“When we haven't the time to listen to each other's stories we seek out experts to tell us how to live. The less time we spend together at the kitchen table, the more how-to books appear in the stores and on our bookshelves. But reading such books is a very different thing than listening to someone' s lived experience. Because we have stopped listening to each other we may even have forgotten how to listen, stopped learning how to recognize meaning and fill ourselves from the ordinary events of our lives. We have become solitary; readers and watchers rather than sharers and participants.”

Quote by Rachel Naomi Remen

Book:Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal, 10th Anniversary Edition

Work

Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal, 10th Anniversary Edition

This 10th anniversary edition features a compilation of stories that delve into the profound impact of sharing life experiences, fostering empathy, and strengthening human connections. more

Author

Rachel Naomi Remen

Rachel Naomi Remen (born February 8, 1938) is an American physician, author, and spiritual teacher. Surviving cancer as a child, she developed a unique perspective on healing and life meaning. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, she worked in conventional medicine before turning to holistic healing approaches. Her bestselling book "Kitchen Table Wisdom" (1994) shares touching stories from her medical practice and has inspired millions worldwide. Remen emphasizes the integration of body, mind, and spirit in healing, advocating for compassionate, patient-centered care that values listening and presence. more

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“Just Listen an excerpt”

Listening Just Listen

Author:Rachel Naomi Remen

“One of my patients told me that when she tried to tell her story people often interrupted her to tell her that they once had something just like that happen to them. Subtly her pain became a story about themselves. Eventually she stopped talking to most people. It was just too lonely. We connect through listening. When we interrupt what someone is saying to let them know that we understand, we move the focus of attention to ourselves. When we listen, they know we care. Many people with cancer talk about the relief of having someone just listen.”

People Knows Stories Happens Care Pain Moving Attention Talking Focus Listening Lonely Patient Cancer Relief Interrupted Just Listen Story People People With Cancer

Author:Rachel Naomi Remen

“I have even learned to respond to someone crying by just listening. In the old days I used to reach for the tissues, until I realized that passing a person a tissue may be just another way to shut them down, to take them out of their experience of sadness and grief. Now I just listen. When they have cried all they need to cry, they find me there with them.”

Way Needs May Persons Used Grief Sadness Cry Listening I Realized Passing Passings Cried Another Way Find Me Old Days Just Listen Tissues

Book:Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal, 10th Anniversary Edition

Source: Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal, 10th Anniversary Edition

“This simple thing has not been that easy to learn. it certainly went against everything I had been taught since I was very young. I thought people listened only because they were too timid to speak or did not know the answer. A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well intentioned words.”

People Knows Wells Young Speak Easy Simple Answers Silence Taught Listening Heal Simple Things

Author:Rachel Naomi Remen

“There are few master teachers in life. ... But there are many who can listen to life so well that they can hear the vastness in everything and in you. A teacher is someone who has learned to listen to life. Someone who has found a way to listen well. Any real teacher is only a finger pointing. In the end, we may find out more by not following our teachers but by following what our teachers follow for themselves. From a good teacher you may learn the secret of listening. You will never learn the secrets of life. You will have to listen for yourself.”

Way Wells May Real Ends Found Secret Teacher Masters Listening Fingers Following Pointing Good Teacher Vastness Secret Life Pointing Fingers

Author:Rachel Naomi Remen

“'In empathic listening you listen with your ears, but you also, and more importantly, listen with you eyes and with your heart. You listen for feeling, for meaning. You listen for behaviour. You use your right brain as well as your left. You sense, you intuit, you feel.' ... 'You have to open yourself up to be influenced'.”

Feels Wells Heart Use Feelings Eye Left Brain Listening Ears Behaviour

Author:Stephen Covey

“Empathic listening is so powerful because it gives you accurate data to work with. Instead of projecting your own autobiography and assuming thoughts, feelings, motives and interpretation, you're dealing with the reality inside another person's head and heart. You're listening to understand. You're focused on receiving the deep communication of another human soul.”

Source: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

“To reconcile conflicting parties, we must have the ability to understand the suffering of both sides. If we take sides, it is impossible to do the work of reconciliation. And humans want to take sides. That is why the situation gets worse and worse. Are there people who are still available to both sides? They need not do much. They need do only one thing: Go to one side and tell all about the suffering endured by the other side, and go to the other side and tell all about the suffering endured by this side. This is our chance for peace. But how many of us are able to do that?”

People Ifs Want Needs Humans Stills Able Suffering Sides Chance Ability Party Situation Impossible One Thing Listening Available Both Sides Reconciliation Reconcile

Author:Nhat Hanh

“People don't listen to understand. They listen to reply. The collective monologue is everyone talking and no one listening.”

People Understanding Talking Listening Empathy Collectives Monologues Talking And Listening No One Listening

Author:Stephen Covey

“When you are deeply contemplative, you listen more carefully and understand things which cannot be articulated.”

Understanding Listening Empathy Contemplative

Author:David A. Cooper