Hearing is one of your five senses. It is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. Listening requires you to pay attention to the speaker and provide feedback. Listening is a few steps further down the track than hearing where, after the brain receives the nerve impulses and deciphers it, it then sends feedback. Although they are synonymous, hearing and listening are completely different things. You can listen to someone without actually hearing anything. Did you ever day dreamed in class? You heard the noise in the classroom but you did not listen to what the teacher was saying.
Listening requires concentration, deriving meaning from the sound that is heard and responding or reacting to it in some way. Listening is a process of communication, where if the person is not listening it can cause a break in communication. Listening is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “to hear something with thoughtful attention: give consideration.”
Apparently, there are four types of communicators…. I am sure you can think of people in your circles who fit with these characteristics:
- A ‘non-listener’ is a person who is preoccupied with his/her own thoughts and although s/he is hearing, s/he is not paying attention;
- A ‘passive listener’ hears the words but does not absorb the meaning and only provides vague answers;
- A ‘listener’ hears and listens, but only grasps the meaning of talks that interests them (this is most common for people who do not want to listen to a topic on which their views differ and will cease to listen to that and start providing their own ideas);
- An ‘active listener’ is the best listener, not only do they hear the person speak, but they also listen with patience and an open mind, their focus being completely on the speaker.
What type of communicator are you? Do you alter your type depending on the social or business setting you are in….? Are you happy with the type of communicator you are….?
[Food for thought for the weekend!]
