--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To listen with an open heart and ask…" description: "\"“To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better help us understand the other person is a spiritual exercise, in the truest sense of the word...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg" --- # To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better… ![“To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better help us understand the other person is a spiritual exercise, in the truest sense of the word.” quote by Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg) > ““To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better help us understand the other person is a spiritual exercise, in the truest sense of the word.”” [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Listening with openness and asking questions is framed as a deep, spiritual practice that enhances understanding of others. **In simple terms:** Open listening and questioning foster deeper understanding. Key Takeaway Practice empathetic listening to connect. Themes communication empathy spirituality Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - counseling - relationships - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts active listening self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent open listening? - How can questioning deepen empathy? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Open heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-heart/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) ## Related quotes > [Writing was a spiritual exercise for my father, the only thing he really believed in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/writing-was-a-spiritual-exercise-for-my-father-the-only-thing-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Meditation is the language of the soul. 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This is patently untrue, by the way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/there-s-a-widespread-belief-that-if-you-have-solid-self-esteem-you/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [It is an act of courage to acknowledge our own uncertainty and sit with it for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/it-is-an-act-of-courage-to-acknowledge-our-own-uncertainty-and-sit/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Silence can pose a greater threat than the difficult truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/silence-can-pose-a-greater-threat-than-the-difficult-truth/) [Harriet Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/) > [Nothing you say can ensure that the other person will get it, or respond the way you want. 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I really trust the reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/i-feel-really-strongly-about-not-wanting-to-overly-guide-the-reader/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [For the most part, if somebody approaches me and says, 'I'd like to interview you,' who am I to say no, when I spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/for-the-most-part-if-somebody-approaches-me-and-says-i-d-like-to/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [...all the answers are but waiting for us while we, poor fools, ask questions and wait for the secrets of God to open themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-asad/all-the-answers-are-but-waiting-for-us-while-we-poor-fools-ask/) [Muhammad Asad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-asad/) > [“It’s funny how the devout pretend like they want people to ask questions, but really they only want you to ask the questions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tal-m-klein/it-s-funny-how-the-devout-pretend-like-they-want-people-to-ask/) [Tal M. 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Use the :) face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rules-for-texting-a-girl-1-don-t-take-40-minutes-to-reply-2-use-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) Browse all 828 Ask questions quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better help us understand the other person is a spiritual exercise, in the truest sense of the word.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harriet Lerner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-questions-to-better-help-us/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ask questions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-questions-to-better-help-us/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/harriet-lerner-4248_ask-questions_to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-que_3159367.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To listen with an open heart and ask questions to better help us understand the other person is a spiritual…” — Harriet Lerner", "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": "Harriet Lerner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-lerner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“To listen with an open heart...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-questions-to-better-help-us/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-lerner/to-listen-with-an-open-heart-and-ask-questions-to-better-help-us/#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 } } ] } ```