How does your emotion affect your capacity to listen?

Answer 1

As a basic rule, the stronger the emotions of a listener toward the speaker, the less they hear and understand the words of the speaker. It is a general principle of psychology that humans always attempt to align the input they receive from their environments as closely as possible with their preconceived notions or beliefs about the world. In order to do this, humans will either alter the information they receive, or, if this is impossible to do to an acceptable degree, alter their beliefs. In the context of communication, this means that a listener will interpret the words of the speaker to match their internal conception of him/her. If a listener despises the speaker, they will interpret his/her words in the way which most vilifies him/her. If the listener is enamored with the speaker, they will interpret his/her words in the way which most justifies him/her.

Answer 2

Emotions can impact our ability to listen by influencing our focus, receptivity, and understanding. Strong emotions like anger or anxiety may hinder our capacity to listen effectively as they can cloud our judgment and create mental distractions. On the other hand, positive emotions like empathy and curiosity can enhance our listening skills by fostering a more open and engaged mindset.