To the Editor:

Re “Lessons in the Lost Art of Listening,” by Kate Murphy (Sunday Review, Jan. 12):

At 76, I can honestly say I have fallen deeply in love with only one person in my life, and it was because he was, and is, the only person who has ever truly listened to me.

He had a knack for turning his face to mine when I spoke, and focusing his gaze directly on my eyes. It felt as if he was looking into me. He would sit silently and never interrupt. When he was sure that I was done, he would then respond directly to the topic of my statement, either by a clarifying question or a related comment to continue our discussion to its natural end.

If there is one single definition I would give to love, it would be to listen as he did, and never stop.

Ann Grogan

San Francisco

To the Editor:

True listening requires that you resist the temptation to respond immediately. But I’ve found this increasingly difficult in group discussions — especially in the virtual meetings so prevalent today.