--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: …through the years, I had come to realize…" description: "\"“…through the years, I had come to realize a simple fact of reporting: if you approach people with respect, listen hard, and genuinely try to understan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg" --- # …through the years, I had come to realize a simple fact of… ![“…through the years, I had come to realize a simple fact of reporting: if you approach people with respect, listen hard, and genuinely try to understand their point of view, they will talk to you, no matter how different your background is.” quote by Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg) > ““…through the years, I had come to realize a simple fact of reporting: if you approach people with respect, listen hard, and genuinely try to understand their point of view, they will talk to you, no matter how different your background is.”” [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respectful listening and genuine curiosity foster open dialogue across diverse backgrounds, essential for trustworthy reporting. **In simple terms:** Listen with respect to get people to talk. Key Takeaway Practice active listening and empathy. Themes communication empathy journalism diversity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - interviews - community reporting - conflict zones - cross‑cultural dialogue Key Concepts Active listening ethical reporting trust building Questions to Reflect On - How does respect change interview outcomes? - What barriers prevent true listening? A Different Perspective Time constraints can limit deep listening. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) ## Related quotes > [I believe that when we love someone, we respect them, and we listen to them; we feel that their voice matters. And- we let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laverne-cox/i-believe-that-when-we-love-someone-we-respect-them-and-we-listen-to/) [Laverne Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laverne-cox/) > [The best way to get ur attention is to smile. the best way to earn respect is to listen without judgement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicedamngurl-rose/the-best-way-to-get-ur-attention-is-to-smile-the-best-way-to-earn/) Nicedamngurl\_rose > [Sing me not a song; let me hear your recital of veneration and respect; this I will listen to over and over when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/sing-me-not-a-song-let-me-hear-your-recital-of-veneration-and-respect/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [“Our love has evolved into something else because of the way we respect and listen to each other's needs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-king/our-love-has-evolved-into-something-else-because-of-the-way-we/) [Tiffany King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-king/) > [Someone once told me that if you respect a person, listen to their opinion. And if you do not respect someone, then do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maisie-williams/someone-once-told-me-that-if-you-respect-a-person-listen-to-their/) [Maisie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maisie-williams/) > [I do not need anybody telling me how to do my thing. I do not care how great they are, if it is somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-jacob-friedman/i-do-not-need-anybody-telling-me-how-to-do-my-thing-i-do-not-care-how/) [Maxwell Jacob Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-jacob-friedman/) > [At least once in your life, when you are talking to yourself, try to have some respect and listen to your interlocutor until he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/at-least-once-in-your-life-when-you-are-talking-to-yourself-try-to/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [I do always show love to people who approach me, but some people just run up and just shove their phone in my face.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-cloud/i-do-always-show-love-to-people-who-approach-me-but-some-people-just/) [Angus Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-cloud/) > [On tour, it's necessary to meet people and make connections, but when I was a teenager, I found it difficult to approach people and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iga-swiatek/on-tour-it-s-necessary-to-meet-people-and-make-connections-but-when-i/) [Iga Swiatek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iga-swiatek/) > [“Do you approach people with a heart of service or with a hidden agenda? Make no mistake, will feel your intentions, even when not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/do-you-approach-people-with-a-heart-of-service-or-with-a-hidden/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I think the worst thing you can do is take an arrogant approach and not give people enough content to wrap their heads around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrese-gibson/i-think-the-worst-thing-you-can-do-is-take-an-arrogant-approach-and/) [Tyrese Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrese-gibson/) > [I am a very shy person, hence it feels awkward to approach people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunny-singh/i-am-a-very-shy-person-hence-it-feels-awkward-to-approach-people/) [Sunny Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunny-singh/) > [I guess I'm just trying to be a good person given the outlet that I've chosen, so I'll approach the people I'm writing about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-guess-i-m-just-trying-to-be-a-good-person-given-the-outlet-that-i/) [Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/) > [I was a bartender for four years, and that was the best training that I had for learning how to approach people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-haberman/i-was-a-bartender-for-four-years-and-that-was-the-best-training-that/) [Maggie Haberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-haberman/) > [We approach people the same way we approach our cars. We take the poor kid to a doctor and ask, What's wrong with him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/we-approach-people-the-same-way-we-approach-our-cars-we-take-the-poor/) [James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/) ## More by Brad Parks > [“It's one thing to be threatened. It's quite another thing to be threatened in grammatically incorrect fashion. I felt like some basic right as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/it-s-one-thing-to-be-threatened-it-s-quite-another-thing-to-be/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“What the hell happened to you?" she demanded. "What took so long?" "My car got towed." "Okay, but why did you swim here?" "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/what-the-hell-happened-to-you-she-demanded-what-took-so-long-my-car/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“one sign of a well-led life is that you have great stories to tell when it’s over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/one-sign-of-a-well-led-life-is-that-you-have-great-stories-to-tell/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“No way you can get stuck. Your head is much smaller. Look at this big coconut of mine. It's practically Jupiter. Yours is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/no-way-you-can-get-stuck-your-head-is-much-smaller-look-at-this-big/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“I always found strange comfort that the American propensity for mixing alcohol and firearms cut across racial, socioeconomic, and cultural divides, from rural redneck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/i-always-found-strange-comfort-that-the-american-propensity-for/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“In some ways, no one is tougher on one another than sisters. Like parents, they're hyperaware of another's past foibles and faults; but, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/in-some-ways-no-one-is-tougher-on-one-another-than-sisters-like/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“I was about to answer when I was interrupted by the sound of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony coming from my pocket. “That’s my editor,” I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/i-was-about-to-answer-when-i-was-interrupted-by-the-sound-of/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“In the end, I just engaged in a staring contest with the wall. The wall kept winning, but I felt like I was gaining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/in-the-end-i-just-engaged-in-a-staring-contest-with-the-wall-the-wall/) [Brad Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/) > [“My entrance into the courtyard caused a small stir among the lookouts. 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But then as soon as you escape into the music, from my point of view,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lydon/music-is-escapism-from-the-grim-realities-of-life-but-then-as-soon-as/) [John Lydon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lydon/) > [“Nothing is ever right, it just isn't wrong from our point of view.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-gomez/nothing-is-ever-right-it-just-isn-t-wrong-from-our-point-of-view/) Bryan Gomez > [At some point, you have to disconnect, if the obsession with playing a real person gets in the way of the movie at large.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/at-some-point-you-have-to-disconnect-if-the-obsession-with-playing-a/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [He decided then that he would love her forever no matter what came to pass. 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I may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lhota/what-was-unique-about-me-being-in-city-hall-during-the-giuliani/) [Joe Lhota](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lhota/) [Browse all 3,298 Point of view quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“…through the years, I had come to realize a simple fact of reporting: if you approach people with respect, listen hard, and genuinely try to understand their point of view, they will talk to you, no matter how different your background is.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brad Parks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize-a-simple-fact-of-reporting-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Point of view" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize-a-simple-fact-of-reporting-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/497/brad-parks-37182_point-of-view_through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize_1813478.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“…through the years, I had come to realize a simple fact of reporting: if you approach people with respect…” — Brad Parks", "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": "Brad Parks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-parks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“…through the years, I had come...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize-a-simple-fact-of-reporting-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-parks/through-the-years-i-had-come-to-realize-a-simple-fact-of-reporting-if/#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 } } ] } ```