Listening to Trump..!

It was while I was in Chicago last month that Donald Trump took part in the second presidential debate with Hillary Clinton. At the end of the debate the others who were sitting with me, Americans all of them, told me Hillary had won the debate. I disagreed. I told them that Trump had won.
“How can you say that?” asked my American friends, “Look at the brusque and crude way he spoke. How uncouth and crass he was! How well Clinton spoke!”
“You listened to their words,” I said, “I listened to his body and his voice and his tone!”
My daughter then said, “Daddy, let’s have a bet!”
Well I’m not one who normally gets into bets because I normally lose, but this time I told her I would take her on, and that I wagered Trump would win the election. 
Trump did, proving all the analysts and critics wrong.
I thought about this today, and realized there is a message here for all of us. How many of us listen?
Yes, we listen to words. But do we listen to the tone of voice? Do we hear fear, even when the words are confident? Do we hear confidence even when the words are crass and crude? Do we hear a cry for help, even if the words are dignified and proud?
There’s a language happening when people speak, that is different, very different from the words they are mouthing.
We need to listen to that silent language.
My dog, a German-Shepherd has a fierce bark, and his sound can be quite fearsome, but very often I know he barks that way, because he is scared to go somewhere where he thinks there is another dog. So his bark, is actually coming out of fright, not confidence.
Do we listen to such sounds?
Do we react sharply and angrily to a little child who has spoken rudely back to us, not realizing the child is actually feeling scared and so using offence or aggression to defend himself or herself?
But we get angry and scold the child, making the child feel even more insecure. So too our wife, or husband, our mother’s or father’s! Are we listening to what they are saying in silence?
Well America learnt a lesson to listen carefully and I won a bet with my daughter, but I hope more than anything else that we start listening, and listening very carefully to the language of silence that speaks louder than words..!
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Listening to Trump..!

It was while I was in Chicago last month that Donald Trump took part in the second presidential debate with Hillary Clinton. At the end of the debate the others who were sitting with me, Americans all of them, told me Hillary had won the debate. I disagreed. I told them that Trump had won. How can you say that? asked my American friends, Look at the brusque and crude way he spoke. How uncouth and crass he was! How well Clinton spoke! You listened to their words, I said, I listened to his body and his voice and his tone! My daughter then said, Daddy, lets have a bet! Well Im not one who normally gets into bets because I normally lose, but this time I told her I would take her on, and that I wagered Trump would win the election. Trump did, proving all the analysts and critics wrong. I thought about this today, and realized there is a message here for all of us. How many of us listen? Yes, we listen to words. But do we listen to the tone of voice? Do we hear fear, even when the words are confident? Do we hear confidence even when the words are crass and crude? Do we hear a cry for help, even if the words are dignified and proud? Theres a language happening when people speak, that is different, very different from the words they are mouthing. We need to listen to that silent language. My dog, a German-Shepherd has a fierce bark, and his sound can be quite fearsome, but very often I know he barks that way, because he is scared to go somewhere where he thinks there is another dog. So his bark, is actually coming out of fright, not confidence. Do we listen to such sounds? Do we react sharply and angrily to a little child who has spoken rudely back to us, not realizing the child is actually feeling scared and so using offence or aggression to defend himself or herself? But we get angry and scold the child, making the child feel even more insecure. So too our wife, or husband, our mothers or fathers! Are we listening to what they are saying in silence? Well America learnt a lesson to listen carefully and I won a bet with my daughter, but I hope more than anything else that we start listening, and listening very carefully to the language of silence that speaks louder than words..! [email protected]