I once had an acquaintance who held a prominent position at a school. What surprised me the most about her was her inability to truly listen. It was evident that she didn't understand the essence of effective communication. You could say to her, "The printer is not working well," and she would reply, "No, it worked perfectly for me!" Maybe I just didn't know how to operate the printer, I thought. Then, on another occasion, I mentioned to her that my new clothes inexplicably seemed to age quickly after the first wash. Her response was one of bewilderment: "No, I wash my clothes, and they look as good as new!" No matter what I said, she always had the opposite perspective.

There are people who listen not to understand but to provide commentary. This is where the difference between "hearing" and "listening" comes into play, and effective communication cannot occur if a person lacks the ability to truly listen. Many believe that if they can speak loudly and confidently, putting others in their place, they don't need to learn about communication; they consider themselves masters of the art. It is disheartening when such individuals hold prominent positions. Their self-assuredness prevents them from realizing that they are "deaf", lacking the skills of effective communication, and those around them suffer the consequences.

Interacting with such people is simply uninteresting.