The real sting here lies in recognizing that speaking feels productive while listening often feels passive—yet the opposite is true. We mistake the clarity of our own thoughts for wisdom, when what actually expands us is the willingness to be changed by what we hear. A manager who dominates meetings with her experience will never catch the junior engineer's insight about why the current system fails, even though he's been too nervous to interrupt. The Dalai Lama isn't simply praising politeness; he's suggesting that our unopened ears are where we stay small.