--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing wrong with listening…" description: "\"There is nothing wrong with listening. You can listen to people; you can hear people's concerns. You can keep an open mind and still be perfectly stron..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg" --- # There is nothing wrong with listening. You can listen to… ![“There is nothing wrong with listening. You can listen to people; you can hear people's concerns. You can keep an open mind and still be perfectly strong.” quote by Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg) > “There is nothing wrong with listening. You can listen to people; you can hear people's concerns. You can keep an open mind and still be perfectly strong.” [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Listening shows respect and openness while maintaining personal strength. **In simple terms:** Listening respects others and keeps you strong. Key Takeaway Listen actively, stay confident. Themes empathy strength communication Mood thoughtful confident Type advice motivational When to use this quote - team meetings - conflict resolution - customer service - personal relationships Key Concepts active listening psychological safety Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance openness with firm boundaries? - When does listening become passive? A Different Perspective Listening alone doesn't solve problems; action may be needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Concern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concern/) [Hear people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hear-people/) [Keep an open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/keep-an-open-mind/) [Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen/) [Listen People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listen-people/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Listening Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-listen-827614/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes you’ll hear, ‘People don’t change.’ This is true more often than it ought to be, but listen again: ‘People don’t change.’ It says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-moran/sometimes-you-ll-hear-people-don-t-change-this-is-true-more-often/) [Victoria Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-moran/) > [I have always lived my life by thriving on opportunity and adventure. Some of the best ideas come out of the blue, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-have-always-lived-my-life-by-thriving-on-opportunity-and-adventure/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [If your mind is open to opposing ideas, your intelligence will go up. If your mind is closed to opposing ideas, your ignorance is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-your-mind-is-open-to-opposing-ideas-your-intelligence-will-go-up/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The inexplicable happens all the time. It makes more sense to simply accept things we observe but cannot understand. It is really more scientific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-siegel/the-inexplicable-happens-all-the-time-it-makes-more-sense-to-simply/) [Bernie Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-siegel/) > [We should always keep an open mind about any new phenomenon in nature. To merely say that's impossible, therefore it doesn't exist, is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-stein/we-should-always-keep-an-open-mind-about-any-new-phenomenon-in-nature/) [Gordon Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-stein/) > [Your passion may be hard to spot, so keep an open mind and keep searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/your-passion-may-be-hard-to-spot-so-keep-an-open-mind-and-keep/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Learning is a process of mutual discovery for teacher and pupil. Keep an open mind to their unexpected responses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/learning-is-a-process-of-mutual-discovery-for-teacher-and-pupil-keep/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) > [ Stephen Hawking won \[Babson Institute competition \] one year with his black hole stuff. It's keeping an open mind on whether gravity exists or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/stephen-hawking-won-babson-institute-competition-one-year-with-his/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [An open mind is all very well in its way, but it ought not to be so open that there is no keeping anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/an-open-mind-is-all-very-well-in-its-way-but-it-ought-not-to-be-so/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [In order to keep up with the rapid evolution of the sport, you've got to keep an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forrest-griffin/in-order-to-keep-up-with-the-rapid-evolution-of-the-sport-you-ve-got/) [Forrest Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forrest-griffin/) > [I think if you keep an open mind and actively look, you find these really great roles that you might have otherwise never even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-roberts/i-think-if-you-keep-an-open-mind-and-actively-look-you-find-these/) [Emma Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-roberts/) > [Keep an open mind, but don't let your brain fall out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/keep-an-open-mind-but-don-t-let-your-brain-fall-out/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [Sometimes incompetence is useful. It helps you keep an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-cavalli/sometimes-incompetence-is-useful-it-helps-you-keep-an-open-mind/) [Roberto Cavalli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-cavalli/) > [I don't think we're capable of knowledge, but I like to keep an open mind. So if you ask me whether I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-don-t-think-we-re-capable-of-knowledge-but-i-like-to-keep-an-open/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [The sure ways to create new ventures of discovery are to keep an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/the-sure-ways-to-create-new-ventures-of-discovery-are-to-keep-an-open/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) ## More by Bill de Blasio > [A holistic solution to income inequality is going to take a lot of work, but every time you prove that one of the strands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/a-holistic-solution-to-income-inequality-is-going-to-take-a-lot-of/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I haven't smoked marijuana since I was at NYU,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-haven-t-smoked-marijuana-since-i-was-at-nyu/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I've spent my life at public work, and I've spent many a day on a good cause that didn't have any lift, didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-ve-spent-my-life-at-public-work-and-i-ve-spent-many-a-day-on-a-good/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [If we can have a fast food restaurant on almost every corner, then we can certainly have a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/if-we-can-have-a-fast-food-restaurant-on-almost-every-corner-then-we/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I've always had a very positive relationship with the municipal labor unions - a respectful relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-ve-always-had-a-very-positive-relationship-with-the-municipal-labor/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [Everything you heard about me is true. . . . I am not a free marketer. . . . I believe in the heavy hand of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/everything-you-heard-about-me-is-true-i-am-not-a-free-marketer-i/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I think unionization is good public policy. I think when families secure their economic future, that's good for everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-think-unionization-is-good-public-policy-i-think-when-families/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [We do not ask more of the wealthy to punish success; we do it to create more success stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/we-do-not-ask-more-of-the-wealthy-to-punish-success-we-do-it-to/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I know the ugly history of corporate welfare, and that's not New York City's future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-know-the-ugly-history-of-corporate-welfare-and-that-s-not-new-york/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I think small business is struggling in New York City. It's a fantastic market, it's a very appealing market, there's lots of opportunity, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-think-small-business-is-struggling-in-new-york-city-it-s-a/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [My parents were divorced when I was young. I was really brought up by my mother's side of the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/my-parents-were-divorced-when-i-was-young-i-was-really-brought-up-by/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [At a certain point, particularly in his third term, Mayor Bloomberg lost touch with the people he was serving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/at-a-certain-point-particularly-in-his-third-term-mayor-bloomberg/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [My wife and family, to say the least, are the center of my life; they are my grounding. I don't want to sound schmaltzy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/my-wife-and-family-to-say-the-least-are-the-center-of-my-life-they/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I think you can be smart and directed and focused, without being obnoxious, and get plenty done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-think-you-can-be-smart-and-directed-and-focused-without-being/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) > [I, thank God, don't engage in punditry anymore. That part of my life is behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/i-thank-god-don-t-engage-in-punditry-anymore-that-part-of-my-life-is/) [Bill de Blasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) [Explore all 61 Bill de Blasio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/) [Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) [Yoram Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoram-wind/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) [Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is nothing wrong with listening. You can listen to people; you can hear people's concerns. You can keep an open mind and still be perfectly strong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill de Blasio" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-you-can-listen-to-people-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Communication" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-you-can-listen-to-people-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/048/bill-de-blasio-11259_communication_there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-yo_2867014.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is nothing wrong with listening. You can listen to people; you can hear people's concerns. You can…” — Bill de Blasio", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill de Blasio", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-de-blasio/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is nothing wrong with listening....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-you-can-listen-to-people-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-de-blasio/there-is-nothing-wrong-with-listening-you-can-listen-to-people-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```