Words are concen- trated on, but everything else escapes. The fourth level is that of empathic listening. Empathic listening is a high level of listening because the listener tries to experience life from the other perspective. Feelings, thoughts, and motives are under- stood more by the heart and eyes than the ears. If ears are the only method used for hearing, much of the message is lost.
People frequently avoid empathic listening because they perceive it as a risk.
One must be very secure in order to listen so deeply as to experience the feelings, thoughts, and motives of another. Yet to have influence, you must first allow yourself to be influenced. So the coach commits herself to listen empathically. But during the process, she is again tempted to become Ms. Quick-Fix by recommending a solution right out of her own past. The assumption is, if it worked for me, it will work for you.