I like this quote of Audrey Hepburn – “You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than what others say about him“.
I think this is very true, and reinforces the fact that we all need to act in the way we’d like others to act with regard to us, in particular when it comes to gossiping or managing confidential information!
It also reminds us to listen to really discover the person we have in front of us. Active listening is a great skill that can be developed with practice and focus. We need to constantly look beyond the superficial meaning of words to apprehend the person, how she sees the world and how she sees others.
Listening to what people say of a person is important but does not replace a direct contact with a person in a situation of full listening (which requires a face-to-face encounter). Foster the person to talk about others and you will certainly have a good idea of her character!
