Bouncing Back: The Personal Resilience Science Insights Podcast · Life Management Science Labs

Dr. Neryl East: Break Miscommunication Barriers — Master Active Listening | Bouncing Back #69

·1 hr·3 clips

Neryl East explains first, second, and third position in conversations and says third position reveals the 'we'.

Joanna introduces the topic by naming active listening as a real source of miscommunication. She also mentions that she has been thinking about her own listening habits lately. That personal note sets up a conversation that stays close to everyday life rather than drifting into theory. Neryl East joins to talk through the art of being present when someone else is speaking. The discussion treats listening as a practice, not a fixed trait some people just have. Eye contact comes up as one of the clearest ways to signal focus. Joanna and Neryl talk about how eye contact can draw people into the same shared space. They also note that it can feel intimidating because it asks for attention that phones and devices often interrupt. The episode keeps circling back to distraction. Neryl describes how many things compete for attention and why that makes deliberate listening harder. The point is not to chase a magic solution. Instead, listeners are encouraged to build the muscle slowly. Neryl offers a small experiment: give a conversation just thirty seconds of real, undivided presence. That idea is meant to work in ordinary settings, not only in dramatic or high-stakes moments. Joanna helps translate the advice into everyday terms as the conversation moves along. The episode suggests that being of service to another person starts with showing up fully. It also links active listening to connection, which the conversation treats as something people need more than ever. There is a clear sense that modern life has made people more connected on paper and less connected in practice. The close keeps the message simple: keep practicing, keep noticing, and keep making space for other people to be heard. That steady approach fits the show's warm interview style and keeps the focus on usable habits.

As heard by us

A practical reminder that active listening can cut down on miscommunication.

The episode stays close to one plain idea: miscommunication gets worse when people stop listening. It comes through in the emphasis on active listening, presence, and eye contact, with Joanna setting up the conversation and Neryl East turning it into a simple practice: give…

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Why you'd press play

A practical reset for conversations that keep slipping into miscommunication, distraction, and missed connection.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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