Home? I feel more at home in the local coffee shop than anywhere else. I always sit in exactly the same spot. They know me there, they know my order – it’s the one place I can relax and unwind and do a bit of thinking, without being interrupted. I guess it’s my bolthole. Sometimes I’m a bit reluctant to go home.

Hugh Mackay – “What Makes Us Tick”

‘My place’ is the physical symbol of my emotional comfort zone.

Hugh Mackay – “What Makes Us Tick”

Yes, people are also crucial to our sense of identity and emotional security: for some people, family is the central, defining feature home: I feel at home wherever my family is. But the sense of place also has a powerful role to play: we need to know where we belong; we need to feel that some physical place stands as a symbol of our uniqueness and acceptance.

Hugh Mackay – “What Makes Us Tick”

Listening is a form of therapy we can all offer each other, if we choose to. In fact, if I had to identify one way to make the world a better place, I’d say: “Listen more attentively and sympathetically to each other.”

Hugh Mackay – “What Makes Us Tick”

Has it never occurred to you that there’s no such things as a boring person, only a bored listener? Humans are endlessly fascinating if you know what to look for. Even in an unpromising conversation there’s so much to learn, so many nuance to pick up, so much to understand. Many people who come across as boring are simply shy, socially inept, or conditioned to expect disappointment in personal encounters. They might even have reached the conclusion that they are boring, because they have never managed to attract a serious listener.

Hugh Mackay – “What Makes Us Tick”