Ivy Strange

"Listen without being defensive!
If you're truly interested in genuine change, the most important development you can make is evolving your worldview. In fact, one can argue that being open to evolving your ideas is the precursor to even desiring to see change occur. But the most important part of active listening is fighting the human urge to respond to someone's social critiques by being defensive.
Sometimes when we hear someone explaining why something is negatively affecting them, we feel compelled to inform that person of all the ways our life is difficult, too. Or, we choose to only focus in on the one part of their analysis that possibly could be a negative statement about ourselves. It's critical to listen to groups like Black Lives Matter with an open mind and heart, instead of only selectively listening to the parts you want to contest."