You want to be able to carry on a <u>conversation</u> with you're opinion and knowledge, but you don't want to sound dumb because you weren't <u>listenin</u>g<u>.</u>
This is because it is giving us an impression of who he is based on his actions.
It gives the reader an opinion on him based on how he acts. It tells us he is powerful, but it also shows him in a terrible light because of his actions.
