Week 9: Discussion Question #2

2). Give a personal example where you have had selective attention. Why do you think that is? Is there a way you were able to overcome it?

I can recall many times were I have been a candidate of selective attention. One that stands out to me happened to me a few weeks ago. I was at work and I was helping a customer and finishing his sale at the register. This client was very chatty throughout the whole sale the customer was talking about his personal life and trying to relate every situation to my life. Once I finally got him to the register I was happy to say that I was hoping he would pay and leave, considering her had talked my ear off for the last hour. Well I was wrong the customer kept talking to me for about ten minutes after his sale was finalized. After the customer had left one of my co-workers asked me what was he talking to you about for so long. I thought about it and I did not have an answer for my co-worker. I was not really interested in what the customer had to say, so I tuned out the stuff that I did not care for and did not want to talk about. I chose which aspects of the conversation that I wanted to talk about. I know that it was possibly rude to the customer, but it was completely based on the fact that we did not share a common interest in some topics and I weighed out what I thought was more important than the others.
I think that I chose to do this because one the customer talked a lot and at some point it was too much. As well there were many things that the customer was discussing that I had no interest in. I tuned out the things that were less important and the things that I did not agree on. To a point I felt annoyed and wanted to get out of all conversations with this customer. It was not to be rude, but it was just because I chose to pick and chose what I thought was important to me.
I do think that there are ways to overcome this. I could simply give my full attention to someone that is talking even if I do not agree. This could be a way to see someone else perspective on a topic. I am missing out on the opportunity to see another side of things as well as coming off as rude to another person. Given that everything in our lives is not going to be interesting. At times I am sure that there are things I talk about and people use selective attention because they just are not interested. I should be more open and willing to listen to others. I could miss out on something important that I do not know about because I chose to not listen. This could also lead to very intellectual conversations if I stay involved in the conversation.