People hear what they want to hear. Imagine, a group of people hear that an individual became very wealthy. His friends will obviously rejoice in his good fortune. Businessmen will be happy to hear this, because now they will seek his business. Fundraisers will be happy to hear they have someone new to ask for money.
Hearing is an art.
We must attune our ears to listen to the accurate message that is being conveyed to us. Listening actively and attentively to a simple statement can leave a profound impression upon us. Nachlas Tzvi tells how a simple abstract statement directed to Horav Chaim Volozhiner, zl, the father of the yeshivah world, prompted him to ponder in a manner which eventually catalyzed the yeshivah movement. Rav Chaim related that when he was a young man, shortly after his wedding, he turned to the business world in order to support his family. Once, as he was on his way to the annual market, he met an old friend who was also in business, whom he had not seen in a long time.