The Art of Listening

What it is about

Erich Fromm treats listening as a demanding human activity rather than passive silence. Genuine listening requires concentration, patience, imagination, emotional openness, and temporary freedom from narcissistic self-preoccupation. The brief text connects therapeutic attention with the broader capacity to encounter another person without immediately using or categorizing them. I keep it on this shelf because I want to be slower before I turn a feeling into a verdict.

Why I keep it

Fromm on listening. The therapist's art, and everyone's.

Key ideas

Beside it on the shelf · Psychology & Therapy