Mary is studying for her final exams and is quite stressed about getting good grades. Her roommate Anne asks, "Have you finished
studying yet?" Mary gets offended and verbally attacks Anne by saying, "Get off my case. I’m doing the best I can to prepare." Anne replies, "Sorry, Mary, I was just checking to see how you were doing." Mary’s dialogue to Anne could be viewed as
When Mary is studying for her final exams and is quite stressed about getting good grades. Her roommate Anne asks, "Have you finished studying yet?" Mary gets offended and verbally attacks Anne by saying, "Get off my case. I’m doing the best I can to prepare." Anne replies, "Sorry, Mary, I was just checking to see how you were doing." Mary’s dialogue to Anne could be viewed as Defensive listening.
Explanation:
Defensive listening is the concept used to identify when a person makes an innocent comment and the receptor takes it as an offense. It bases on the subjective interpretations the person executes in scenarios of high stress. This is one of the signs of burnout syndrome derived by high levels of anxiety and poor emotional control.
Explanation: When from some really innocent and not malicious comment someone made to us, in case Anne made that comment to Mary and Mary realised that as the attack ti her, then it was defensive listening. Mary made the wrong impression and answered sharply, and Anne did not deserve it. This can occur in a case, such as Mary, frustration or simply tension caused by a factor and not related to the person who made the innocent comment or question.
