We often hear people complaining to each other “Are you even listening?” even when they are loud enough. Does this indicate hearing and listening are two different phenomenon?
Absolutely, hearing is a biological process while listening is psychological one. Hearing refers to recognising sound, listening on the other hand involves paying close attention to the sound, understand it and giving meaning to it.
Let’s understand the difference between Passive listening and Active listening
A passive listener is the one who listens without interrupting and may not make the communication effective. While an active listener contributes to the conversation by understanding the speaker.
Curiosity gives birth to active listening and thus effective learning. Passive listening is not a great way of communication especially for learning and understanding. In school or university set-up students shall be given freedom to ask questions, narrate their understanding. Teachers must ensure the two-way communication pattern in regular classes for increased engagement.
Benefits of active listening
· Knowledge enhancement
· Effective communication/learning
· Reduced chances of miscommunication
· Enhanced clarity
· Better understanding of the situation
Art of listening is a life serving skill not only for learning but also for enhanced interpersonal relationships.
World is full of all kinds of stimulus or information that it has become tough to filter the important from unnecessary. Let’s figure out how we can listen consciously and make the most out of it.