Once upon a time, I met a beautiful, charming, and witty woman and fell deeply in love. During the months we dated I was the consummate romantic. I brought her flowers, wrote heartfelt love letters, and on occasion even sang to her. At one point she remarked that no one had ever treated her better. Then suddenly and unexpectedly she left me. I was devastated. When I asked her why, she replied, “You never listened to me.”

I had no clue what she was talking about.

Of course I listened to her. Didn't I know her favorite foods, music, and vacation spots? Absolutely. I also knew of her past struggles, her frustrations at work, and her dreams for the future. Apparently that was not enough. In retrospect, I finally figured out the problem was that I had been too busy following the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

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