A Better Understanding

Articles such as the "Art of Listening" fascinate me. This article along with many others fall into a category that makes it seem as though the people writing them have a better understanding about the topic. Usually at the end of an article such as this, I personally feel enlightened on the subject. I think it is because of I have never taken the time to understand the importance of a subject such as listening and how it can effect someone. That being said, this article does an excellent job of capturing the reader's attention and presenting a clear message. That message being to simply listen to the world around you and maybe you can end up with a clearer view of that very world.

This relates to Chapter 1 of the Wadsworth text by presenting the reading with a prime example of how to use the elements of the rhetorical situation outlined in the chapter. For one, it gives an interesting topic that relates to the current world in how people, such as Americans, are viewed as talkers, not listeners, or at least not very good ones and that everyone is in a rush. The audience is clearly anyone who thinks they do not have to time to listen and the purpose is to make them listen or at least to understand the benefit of listening.

Finally, this article shows students an example of how one can immerse themselves in an experiment. Not only does it show us how, it also shows us that there may be more than one conclusion derived from the experiment. For instance, the author of the article decides to learn a new culture and see what life is life outside of the typical European view. In the end, the author finds out just what that is like but also comes to the conclusion that some people do not take the time to properly listen.