The best conversationalists are people who know how to listen well. To do this, you must put aside distractions — both external (email, text messaging) and internal (random thoughts, worries) — and truly focus attention on the other person.

Think of the last time you tried to explain how great or terrible your day was while your friend glanced down at her phone to read a text message from someone else.

Sometimes, if we are excited about what someone is saying, we may interrupt the speaker to toss in our own thoughts.

But by doing this, we run the risk of frustrating the speaker, possibly causing him to stop expressing how he really feels.

Good listeners have self-control — they do not allow their minds to wander, and they don’t interrupt.