Hearing/Listening: a Binary Opposition

A reader, Michelle f, says,

"Don't lose hope, Anna! Some Americans are self-absorbed. But some aren't! There are so many people willing to listen and willing to help you. You just haven't come across them yet. I must admit when I first met you I couldn't figure out what in the world you were saying! Forunately for both of us that has changed and I love to listen to you. You bring a perspective to our blogging class like no others have before. I admire you."

Here “listen” is a key. There is a significant difference between hearing and listening. Sometimes, people hear but they do not actually listen. That is, hearing is a sensorial, almost mechanic, activity, and although involves the brain to participate in the hearing performance, it is not apt to understanding. Its opposite, listening, is related to the comprehension of a particular object/topic.

When one talks to another and he or she notices “wondering” eyes, it may be a sign that the other only hears what it has been told. If on one hand, today, media – its pictures and images – literally harasses the audience that, in return, loses most of its ability of listening; on the other hand, the busy routine humans use to cope with regularly don’t help the activity of listening. Thus, the “different,” the “alien,” and the “stranger” are often neglected because these bring within themselves the ineradicable necessity to be understood, interpreted. That is, one cannot only hear the “different,” the “alien,” and the “stranger,” but he or she must (actively) listen to them.

Hearing lies in the sphere of passivity, while listening is a labor that requires involvement, concentration, and focus on the speech that takes place. It is trough listening that people apprehend and understand the external world.