I had a stray thought this morning. Carl Rogers and Mr. (Fred) Rogers were incredibly similar.

Carl Rogers is widely considered to be the father of person-centered, or client-centered counseling. Empathic listening, acceptance, focus on the experience, thoughts, and feelings of the client are central to this type of practice.

If you are familiar with Fred Rogers, of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” fame, all you have to do is think about his voice. He asked meaningful questions, and held eye contact with children through the camera lens. It is easy to realize how similar these two gentlemen were.

Mr. Rogers was a great example of acceptance and the importance of listening. He valued the feelings of his viewers, no matter their age.

How would our world, our workplace, our neighborhoods, our families change if we all practiced listening? What if we focused on the thoughts and feelings of others before ourselves?

Thank you, Carl Rogers. Thank you, Mr. Rogers.