Application exercise n.2

Compassionate Critical Listening It was last year during the last summer holidays when the terrorism acts raided the News airlines across the country. Incidentally, I boarded a train to the neighboring town and my seat mate was a Muslim faithful. I was terrified because I thought the man had bad intentions of committing suicide bombing in train. This is because it was reported that the Muslims were on a revenge mission against the innocent citizens and were out for malicious actions. I also assumed that all Muslims were affiliated with terrorist gangs like the Al-Qaeda or other extremist groups.
I avoided the man for the rest of the journey and prayed that I could reach my destination safely without any harm or injuries. I behaved differently because of the fear that the man could sense my insecurity status. However, halfway the journey, the Muslim man engaged in a conversation that involved investment decisions (Warren and Fassett 48). I was, at first, hesitant to respond to his questions, but I learnt he was a renowned professor from one of the local universities.
I did not engage in critical listening because I already had an informed and biased opinion against the individual. I might have perceived him differently, like a normal passenger in order to be a compassionate critical listener (Warren and Fassett 50). That could have helped me to gain knowledge on investment opportunities available to the youth for personal developments. I felt sorry for not being a compassionate listener and thought I could change my opinions concerning Muslims and terrorism. This is because, despite being from different backgrounds, people need to respect and appreciate each other (Warren and Fassett 50).
Work Cited
Warren, John T, and Deanna L. Fassett. Communication: A Critical/cultural Introduction.
Thousand Oaks, Calif: SAGE Publications, 2011. Print.