Often used as a backhanded ‘compliment’ or a put down. Not necessarily fair. The functions this serves are: 1- you are also hearing what you are saying to others thus confirming what you believe, 2- you build up confidence in yourself as well as the listener about what is important and valued, 3- if not contradicted by the listener, it appears that you have a fellow-believer… plus I suspect other positive aspects. Never be hasty in applying this to what you or the other person is saying.
Why is this done… often? A number of potential reasons spring to mind: 1- discovering and hearing if what you say is truly what you believe, 2- because this is an opportunity to build up your confidence as well as encouraging the listener, and … A different question is are you speaking from a foundation of confidence or are you really asking a question? How do you react to a listener who either doesn’t agree or asks a probing question? Are you challenged… or threatened?
Quite honestly, I believe ‘preaching to the choir’ often gets a bad rap. There IS value in doing this – for both the speaker and listener(s) because for the listener it either confirms what they believe or causes them to rethink what it is they know and believe. Obviously, this depends on how they hear. Is the speaker challenging or even threatening what the listener believes, asking questions, presenting a new thought, or… The speaker’s ‘how’ is critically important for both the speaker and listener(s).
‘Preaching’ is a form of hearing loud and clear what you know and believe and stand on. It confirms you to you… as well as your listener(s). But it also imparts a message as strong as your behavior. Because your actions have to confirm your beliefs. This typically is never pre-planned, it happens spontaneously in the moment. Somehow I think that what is said now truly represents the heart of the speaker and what they intentionally do and value.
