This is an age of information technology where we are bombarded with different platforms of communication and information generation like social, print, and electronic media. It is a noticeable fact that all these mediums mainly facilitate the human attributes of expression and not reception (listening).
The current era is more pronounced in defining a person
through his or her needs, demands and rights rather than responsibilities and
duties. Therefore, it is a general observation that people from diverse
culture and traditions are more enthusiastic to voice their concerns and issues
rather than listening to each other in social, political, and economic arenas.
While listening is extinguishing from the mainstream society of
different cultures around the globe; the future age presumably would need specialist
who are exclusively trained to listen to others with an intention of
understanding for example therapist, counselors, advisors, social workers, and
mental health specialists.
The problem of dysfunctional communication where both parties
rely heavily on expression rather than on reception is multifactorial in
nature.
The existing epoch is enhancing and highlighting impulsivity
amongst people, prohibiting the ability to delay one’s gratification. We mainly
listen to shape our responses and not to understand others’ views. A
communication pattern devoid of listening is undeniably a prominent social consequence
of internet-driven trends (google, chatting boards, gaming, and entertainment) which
is influencing our relationships, problem-solving skills and thinking abilities
day by day.
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand;
they listen with the intent to reply.”
― The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
Listening is the basic part of any interaction in the world. Listening sprouts from roots of tolerance, kindness, compassion, and non-judgment. On close inspection, we would realize that we are running out of these human resources and characteristics. This age of expression is depleting our innate capacity to be empathetic by setting vanity and conceit-ridden norms.
Across the globe in different fields of career, communication
is gaining mainstream’s recognition by day in and day out. It is mostly because
communication is decreasing from all aspects of professional, personal, social,
or political lives.
We have reached a point where external agencies are training
us to build listening capacity to hear others with compassion and with
nonjudgmental attitude.
In mystical and Sufi notions and in folklore
culture, most of the stories were designed and weaved together to
facilitate the human attribute of listening. People used to love listening
and interacting through the basis of what they receive from others. the
diminishing trend of listening especially amongst teenagers and youngsters is
quite disheartening.
“This is the problem with dealing with someone
who is actually a good listener. They do not jump in on your sentences, saving
you from actually finishing them, or talk over you, allowing what you do manage
to get out to be lost or altered in transit. Instead, they wait, so you have to
keep going.”
― Just Listen
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