It is a known fact that the first type of communication we engage in is listening. That is how we learn and acquire language. Although it is our first learnt ability, it is sadly our most
underdeveloped communication skill.
There is a patent difference between hearing and listening, but the will to focus on either is lacking. Hearing is easy, it’s our lifeline; how we wake in the morning, our way of escaping danger and how we pass on our genes. Hearing is the reception of sound waves, perception of sound to the brain and the acoustic link.
But listening is an art! An art we are slowly losing in a world of so many digital distractions and the overload of information.
Our hearing is faster than any other sense; and our brains are tuned to our surroundings through listening. Listening is an open mind, something more important than an open ear. It is the willingness to entertain the notion that we may be wrong or that we may only be partially right.
The famous Aristotle once said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
Listening skills are proven to be connected with intelligence. Intelligent people know that knowledge is power and the most important way of gaining this knowledge is to listen. This is how they find deeper meaning; they know it is a psychological act.
Listening for meaning implicates hearing more than just words. Ideas are heard, as well as concepts. The level of engagement it requires leaves the person with no choice but to be drawn in and focused.
The International Listening
Association defines listening as, “The process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and responding to spoken and /or non-verbal messages. The differences between a proficient and an ineffective listener are extensive.
A proficient listener uses appropriate eye contact, remains attentive and alert, does not interrupt, is responsive, uses verbal and non-
verbal terminologies and lastly asks questions in a non-threatening manner. An ineffective listener is impatient, does not make and keep eye contact, easily distracted, interrupts the speaker, gives little to no feedback, talks too much, gives unwanted advice, changes the subject and is close-minded. No one likes an ineffective listener.
Those who practice great communication skills know that listening requires you to stop talking long enough to let the sound you hear travel through your brain so that it can be processed for connotation. It is important to note that the levels of hearing ability have little to do with listening skills. This is why people with hearing loss have been found to be better listeners than people with normal listening skills. We often tune out any noise that causes us boredom or discomfort, which results in no longer listening but simply hearing.
Listening should be seen as a means to gain wisdom. It goes deeper than merely hearing. It is our connection to the non-visual parts of our world and it feeds into every aspect of our life.
