"You never listen to a word I say" The Economist

Everybody knows that somebody listening to a joke is not really listening; he is impatiently awaiting his turn to tell a joke of his own. Everybody knows that husbands give half an ear to the discourse of their wives—and vice versa. Why do these highly disciplined attempts at human dialogue fail? The reason, says Abraham Kaplan, a professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, is that they are not really dialogues at all

Active listening involves the listener observing the speaker's behavior and body language.^{[citation needed]} Having the ability to interpret a person's body language lets the listener develop a more accurate understanding of the speaker's message.^[1] Having heard, the listener may then paraphrase the speaker's words. It is important to note that the listener is not necessarily agreeing with the speaker—simply stating what was said.
Individuals in conflict often contradict each other.^{[citation needed]} Ambushing occurs when one listens to someone else's argument for its weaknesses and ignore its strengths.^[2] This may include a distortion of the speaker’s argument to gain a competitive advantage. On the other hand, if one finds that the other party understands, an atmosphere of cooperation can be created.^[3]
In the book Leader Effectiveness Training, Thomas Gordon, who coined the term "active listening,"^[4] states "Active listening is certainly not complex. Listeners need only restate, in their own language, their impression of the expression of the sender. ... Still, learning to do Active Listening well is a rather difficult task ..."^[5]