people only listen to those they want to listen to

i only realised in the past few months that people only listen to those they want to.

how they choose the people they want to listen to? a whole myriad of factors. whether they even choose to admit it or not. but the bottom line is that the person must be someone he/she respects deeply. whether it's because he's cool enough or wise enough is for he/she to decide.

like how someone says he/she likes talking to me because he/she finds that with me, it's somebody he/she is talking with and not talking to. but before my ego can be boosted in any way, i immediately recall how many people do not think my words carry much weight because they deem me not credible enough -- in whatever aspect.

and then i thought about myself. how that's so true of myself too. ah. one of the many paradoxes of life.