The Difference Between Hearing and Listening

By Rachael Markovic

All day long we are surrounded by different sorts of communication. Whether it’s virtual or verbal communication, it’s still a two-way process. Most people like to claim that they’re listening when in fact they’re just nodding their heads up and down. We need to be able to listen in order to develop a true understanding of why someone feels the way that they do. One of the biggest issues is that we choose to listen not to understand but to reply.

Hearing tells you that the music is playing but listening tells you what the song is saying. There are times that we hear but we forget to listen.

Hearing may be one of the body’s five senses, but listening is an art. Being able to focus on what the person in front of you is saying and then listening to what ISN’T being said takes true concentration.