There is a certain person who lives on the fringes of my life who uses a stock phrase to indicate that he “is listening” to you. Over the course of a 5-minute conversation, he will respond with “I hear you” at least five times. And while it may be true that he has heard the string of words spoken, it is always crystal clear that he has not listened to a single word. The difference between hearing and listening is as vast as the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad, to use a crude but effective analogy.
So why would a person choose hearing over listening?
To listen is to suffer because we do not want to listen to anything that might require a change. To listen is to change. We cannot change without listening. Listening implies a change. We need to change just to listen.
Something to think about the next time you are in a conversation, and have the choice between listening and hearing. Will you be brave enough to reject simple hearing in favor of the creative act of listening?
