People don’t usually read articles or posts that are online fully, they just skim through the content, or just view the image and move on. Some will then comment without any context or regard for the content. This makes me ask the question; do people really pay attention during their training?
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Sometimes it’s good to just shut up and listen….. Just sit and listen (or read). When was the last time you just listened to someone? I’m talking about just taking in the words that are being said (or written), and allowing it to settle into your mind….. Forget about a response. There is no need for you to interrupt anyone with your ideas, concepts, or “brilliant” insights. Be there to learn. Be quiet.
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You’ve heard this famous saying before. Knowledge is power. But knowledge isn’t power alone. Knowledge has the potential to be powerful; because knowledge is nothing without application.
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We live in an age where you can access any idea, concept, theory, principle, or fact, that’s ever existed in history.
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But, of course, it isn’t that easy. Because you won’t become an expert at anything if you don’t take the time to practice and listen to others.
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The one way that you can truly continue to learn is by keeping an open mind….. and open ears. If you’re too busy telling others how to do things and not taking the time to really listen to others, it’s going to halt your ability to learn and absorb new information.
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Are you busy planning your comment and what you’re going to add into the conversation next? Do you find yourself wanting to add a comment because you simply HAVE to make sure it’s heard? Well, quit doing this, because if you haven’t noticed already, the fact you’re sitting there planning your next response means you’ve probably stopped listening (or reading – did I say reading?) to whoever is talking.
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You don’t know it all. I don’t care how long, or who you’ve trained with. You simply don’t. I don’t. None of us do, and you often hear masters of advancing age iterate that they are continuing to learn.
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To be a great student or instructor, you need to be a good listener. There are no two ways about it. If you’re not listening to others, you simply will never understand at the deeper level. In the end, if you don’t understand the message the other person is trying to say, you are not listening, and if you’re not listening, you’re not learning.
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“Shut up and listen. When you think you know, shut up and listen some more.” 
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 Image of Minoru Higa 10th dan Shorin-Ryu & Tetsuya Naka 7th dan Shotokan
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