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People who engage in nonlistening simply do not pay attention to what they’re hearing. For example, if you’re overly interested in your own questions during an interview, you won’t be attuned to what the interviewee has to say in response. In a lecture, you are likely to engage in nonlistening if you are more focused on your own thoughts about the subject than on what the speaker has to say. Not surprisingly, nonlistening prevents you from processing another person’s message—and therefore keeps you from retaining it. If you feel distracted when interviewing a source, giving a speech, or listening to a speech, take a moment to calm your mind and redirect your energy to listening. Remind yourself of the importance of listening in this situation—it could be to learn new information, strengthen existing knowledge, or even get a good grade!