1) |
HEARING / LISTENING
As long as my ears work ie as long as they aren't injured, blocked, or otherwise impaired, I can hear. And one, no intention is required to turn the microphone on. With hearing, the microphone is always on, picking up sounds autonomically, even background noise I'm not focused on. Two, hearing doesn't require I be present to your communication: whether I'm present or not, the microphone picks up the sound of your voice (any sound actually) anyway. Listening on the other hand, requires all the physical equipment required by hearing, and in addition requires intentionality and being present. When I'm listening you, I'm fully intending to hear you, rather than merely hearing you autonomically. Also when I'm listening you, I'm bringing mySelf fully present to your communication, rather than merely hearing you autonomically. Hearing is fundamentally different than listening inasmuch as hearing is an autonomic response which happens regardless of whether the owner-of-the-ears is fully present or not. Listening on the other hand, requires I be intentionally present to your communication. Why is her listening so much more of a pleasure and a privilege to be in the orbit of, than mere hearing? Because her intent listening and being present to my communication gives me the experience of being heard AND being gotten AND being appreciated AND being worthwhile, a quartet that mere hearing can't grant.
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2) |
LISTENING TO / LISTENING
Both "listening to" and "listening" are different than hearing - as distinguished earlier. And the essential difference between them ie the essential difference between "listening to" and "listening", comes down to what the listener presences (gets) in their experience while they're listening. To fully appreciate the difference, try this on for size: when I'm listening to you, I'm getting what you're communicating. But when I'm listening you (without the "to") I'm getting more than just what you're communicating: I'm also getting your entire experience of communicating what you're communicating. In a word, when I'm listening to you I'm re-creating what you're communicating. And when I'm listening you, I'm re-creating not only what you're communicating: I'm also re-creating your entire experience of communicating what you're communicating. Listening to you, is a firm hand-shake. Listening you, is a full on embrace.
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3) |
TALKING / SPEAKING
As long as my larynx works ie as long as my voicebox isn't injured, blocked, or otherwise impaired, I can talk. Talking doesn't require I be present with you: whether I'm intentional or not, whether I'm present or not, the loudspeaker can make sound. Speaking on the other hand, requires all the physical equipment required by talking, and in addition (like listening's difference from hearing) requires intentionality and being present. When I'm speaking, I'm fully intending you get my communication, and I'm bringing mySelf fully present to you getting the communication I'm generating (which by the way, is another quality shown by speaking but not talking: speaking generates the space for communication; talking doesn't generate it). Talking is fundamentally different than speaking insofar as talking can happen regardless of whether the owner-of-the-voicebox is being present or not. Speaking on the other hand, requires I intend to be present to being in communication with you, and to generating my communication, and to you getting my communication.
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