The Listener

It has occurred to me recently that the art of listening has been severely eroded by so much noise. When we are led by blowhards that only love the sound of their own voice, many believe that is the model to follow. After years of such nonsense, everyone is talking too much and saying too little, mostly about themselves. If you don't agree with them, it doesn't matter, at least not to them. They are the only reason sound should happen and their voice is the only one anyone should hear. Talk, Talk, Talk. Blah, Blah, Blah. Lest you think that I am taking sides, it is happening on both sides of the issues these days. With so many people talking over each other, no one is listening. You hear that, Washington, No one is listening anymore because they have already heard it. At my age I have heard it ad nauseum. It is easy to think that the only remedy for anyone sane is to just turn it off and stop listening. That is not the solution. To ignore what is happening is to make yourself vulnerable. I made my living listening to all sides of an issue. It's never easy to satisfy both sides but it is necessary to listen and that takes work now more than ever. It is hard to hear so many of the things that are being said whether it is about black lives, Covid-19, or who is responsible for the cock ups with both. None of these will be solved by rhetoric or shouting or talking over each other. They will only be solved by the same thing that makes relationships, and that is listening and the respect that goes with it. Agreement is optional, but listening is mandatory. You can take the ploy that you will only surround yourself with people of like talk and thought. Good luck with that. Guess what? The other side is going to show up anyway because there is a reason for them to show up. Fear makes us do strange things. It makes us shout and scream and run and react badly. Understanding at least forces us to slow down, contemplate, and maybe, just maybe engage the brain before the mouth. The issues of the day are being so misused by the shouters and screamers that is hard to get the message and come to grips with some of the sad facts. On this last trip I listened. I didn't speak much unless to ask a question. I tried to clarify. The country is split over the leadership largely because of the leadership on both sides. If you are white you do need to listen to the black perspective. All black people are not criminals and not all black youth are dangerous. It is easy to accept the myth unless you listen to them. They are speaking in a variety of ways. They are speaking in their music, their poetry, their art, their demonstrations, and their attitudes. If you listen you will get it. If you don't want to get it and continue to think they aren't equal then continue to wallow in ignorance. You'll have plenty of company. Just don't get surprised when the other side shows up. They are not going to disappear because you ignore them. They are on their way. If you think that Covid-19 is a political tactic then continue to disregard the science. Disregarding fact or blaming the spread of a disease on party line or foreign countries is your thing, surround yourself with all your buddies who are shouting along with you. Just don't be surprised when the other side shows up. Don't expect them to get you. You don't even get yourself because you only listen to you. If you do want to listen more, you will find a world of solution. You will be amazed at how people respond. If your busy listening then you are not busy trying to think of your next counter statement or argument. You are actually hearing who is speaking. Strength is tied to sustainability and adaptability. Those two issues rely on learning what the situation is. Learning what the situation truly is, at least for us "higher" order primates, depends on listening, thinking, and taking it all in.