What's That?

I personally reckon the ability to listen is just about the greatest favour I can do someone.
I may look at teaching on listening shortly, but I am really coming from a point that has not so much to do with learning and knowing all the theory about the power of and necessity to listen, but actually listening.
To me it is important to know the rights and wrongs of doing it - yet I feel the most important thing is to actually listen.  Speaking for myself I know pretty well immediately if someone is engaged with me.  There is actually little as disheartening as feeling I am wasting my time in conversation as the other is not with me and is thinking about other things.
Of course there is much at play in such a scenario but to me it is imperative I don’t miss a cry of the human heart.  I have found so often it is not a providing of an answer that is sought (though it sometimes is) it is just being present and taking an interest that is liberating for another.  Sometimes a person finds that just verbalizing an issue is enough to provide an as yet unthought of solution. And even when no solution is forthcoming an airing of an issue can be a step of freedom.
This is not referring to those who seem to be professional grumblers. Those for whom satisfaction is found in grumbling alone.  Again though, I need to take care for there are times when grumbling is a cry for help.  As Peter F Druker said, “the most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”
It is said mankind has never been more connected but never lonelier.  A lot is said - but I am unsure about how much is heard without preconception.  As the song says “still a man hears what he wants to hear…”
There are times something is said, not because it is a firmly held and well considered belief but said only because it is as far as someone has gone in considering a matter or because it is parroting an agenda being pushed.
I reckon my role is to hear what is said and not said and decide from there which way to go.