Julian Treasure - 5 ways to listen better

Summary

The speaker highlights the importance of conscious listening, noting that while we spend a lot of time hearing, we retain only a small portion of what we hear. He introduces listening as a skill that involves recognizing patterns and filtering sounds. He explains how modern distractions and noise have eroded our ability to listen carefully. To combat this, he suggests five practical exercises, including practicing silence and savoring mundane sounds, to enhance our listening. He advocates for teaching listening in schools to foster better understanding, connection, and ultimately, peace in society.

Takeaways

• 👂 We spend around 60% of our communication time listening, yet we only retain 25% of what we hear.
• 🧠 Listening is about making meaning from sound through mental processes like pattern recognition.
• 🎧 We use techniques such as recognizing patterns (like hearing our name in a noisy environment) and differencing (tuning out constant sounds).
• 🎚 Filters in our brain help us focus on specific sounds, but we are often unaware of them.
• 👫 Listening is crucial for relationships; intentional listening can strengthen connections.
• 📡 Sound helps place us in space and time, shaping our awareness of surroundings and the flow of time.
• 🔊 Modern technology, noise, and personal sound bubbles have reduced our ability and patience for active listening.
• 🌍 Conscious listening is essential for understanding and connecting with the world, and its loss can have serious consequences.
• 🛠 Five listening exercises to improve listening: silence, the mixer (focusing on sound layers), savoring, changing listening positions, and using the acronym RASA (Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, Ask).
• 🎓 Teaching listening in schools could create a world more connected, peaceful, and understanding.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker identifies regarding listening?

The speaker identifies that we are 'losing our listening'—meaning, although we spend around 60% of our communication time listening, we are not very good at it and only retain about 25% of what we hear.

How does the speaker define listening?

The speaker defines listening as 'making meaning from sound.' It is a mental process that involves extracting information from sounds using techniques like pattern recognition and filtering.

What are some techniques we use to process sound?

We use techniques such as pattern recognition to distinguish important sounds (e.g., our name) from background noise, and 'differencing,' which involves tuning out sounds that remain constant, like background noise.

How do filters affect our listening?

Filters reduce the vast amount of sound around us to what we actually pay attention to, often without us being aware. These filters shape our reality because they determine what we focus on at any given moment.

Why is intention important in listening?

Intention is important because it helps to focus and improve the quality of listening. For example, the speaker mentions promising to listen to his wife as if for the first time every day, illustrating how intention can elevate conscious listening.

What impact does sound have on our perception of space and time?

Sound helps us perceive space by giving us information about the size of a room and the presence of people. It also places us in time because sound always has a temporal aspect, contributing to our sense of the flow of time.

Why does the speaker believe we are losing the ability to listen?

The speaker believes that technological advances like recording have reduced the need for careful listening, while the increasing noise of the world and impatience for quick sound bites further erode our listening skills.

What exercises does the speaker recommend to improve listening?

The speaker recommends five exercises: 1) Silence, 2) 'The Mixer'—listening to different sound channels, 3) Savoring mundane sounds, 4) Changing listening positions, and 5) Using the acronym 'RASA' (Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, Ask).

What does the acronym 'RASA' stand for, and how does it relate to listening?

'RASA' stands for Receive (pay attention), Appreciate (use small affirmations), Summarize (use 'so' to summarize), and Ask (ask questions). It’s a useful tool for improving communication and ensuring active listening.

Why does the speaker emphasize the need to teach listening in schools?

The speaker argues that listening is fundamental to understanding, connection, and peace, yet it is not taught as a skill. By teaching conscious listening, we could create a more connected and understanding world.

Outlines

00:00

🎧 The Importance of Listening and How We’re Losing It

The speaker begins by discussing how we spend a significant portion of our communication time listening, yet we’re not very good at it, retaining only 25% of what we hear. Listening is defined as making meaning from sound, which involves techniques like pattern recognition and differentiation. The speaker explains how our unconscious filters help us focus on particular sounds, influencing our perception of reality. Intentional listening, such as promising to listen to a partner every day as if for the first time, is a skill that requires daily effort.

05:03

🔊 How Sound Influences Our Perception of Space and Time

Sound not only places us in space but also in time. By closing our eyes, we can perceive the size of a room and the presence of others through sound reverberation. Sound carries time within it, allowing us to experience the flow from past to future. The speaker mentions that the advent of recording technologies has diminished the need for active listening, and the noisy modern world, filled with distractions, makes it harder for people to truly listen. This has led to impatience and a shift away from deep conversation towards sound bites and personal broadcasting.

🧠 The Dangers of Losing Our Listening Skills

The speaker emphasizes the dangers of losing our ability to listen, as it is crucial for understanding and consciousness. Media constantly competes for our attention, making it harder to focus on subtle sounds. The speaker warns that a world where we fail to listen to each other is a frightening prospect. Listening is essential for building connections and understanding, and without it, we risk living in a disjointed society. To address this, the speaker introduces five exercises to improve conscious listening.

🤫 Five Simple Exercises to Enhance Listening Skills

The first exercise is silence—just three minutes of quiet per day can reset and recalibrate our ears, helping us hear subtle sounds again. The second is the ‘mixer’ exercise, where listeners pay attention to different channels of sound, even in noisy environments. The third exercise is savoring, which involves appreciating mundane sounds, like the rhythm of a tumble dryer. These exercises are meant to help individuals improve their conscious listening abilities.

🎶 Listening Positions and the RASA Acronym

The speaker explains the concept of listening positions, encouraging individuals to consciously shift their listening based on the situation. By playing with filters, we can tailor our listening to the context. The speaker introduces the acronym RASA (Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, Ask), a tool for improving communication through active listening. Listening is portrayed as a vital skill for fully engaging with the world, both physically and spiritually.

📚 The Need to Teach Listening in Schools

The speaker concludes by arguing that listening should be taught as a skill in schools, as it is foundational to connection and understanding. Without it, society risks moving towards a world where no one listens to each other. By teaching conscious listening, we could transform the world within a generation into one of peace, connection, and understanding. The speaker urges the TED community to take up this mission and work towards making listening a core part of education.

Keywords

💡Listening

Listening is defined as the process of making meaning from sound. The video emphasizes that listening is not just hearing, but a mental process of understanding and extracting information. The speaker notes that although we spend much of our communication time listening, we are not very good at it, retaining only about 25% of what we hear. This concept is central to the video’s argument that modern distractions and technologies are causing us to lose our ability to listen effectively.

💡Pattern Recognition

Pattern recognition is a technique we use to differentiate noise from meaningful signals, such as hearing our name in a crowded room. This skill helps us focus on what’s important in noisy environments, and it illustrates how the brain filters sounds to make sense of the world. In the video, the speaker uses the example of a cocktail party, where people react when they hear their names, demonstrating how pattern recognition works in listening.

💡Differencing

Differencing refers to the brain's ability to filter out sounds that remain constant, allowing us to focus on new or changing sounds. The speaker gives an example of pink noise, stating that after a few minutes, we would stop noticing it. This concept is crucial to understanding how we manage auditory overload by ignoring repetitive, unimportant noises and focusing on changes.

💡Filters

Filters are mental processes that help us reduce the vast amount of sound we receive to only what we consciously pay attention to. The speaker mentions that most people are unaware of these filters, but they shape our reality by determining what sounds we prioritize. For example, intention is a filter that allows us to focus on what we choose to listen to, such as when the speaker promised to listen to his wife as if for the first time each day.

💡Silence

Silence is highlighted as a key exercise for resetting our listening abilities. The speaker suggests practicing three minutes of silence daily to recalibrate our ears and enhance our ability to hear quieter sounds. This exercise emphasizes the need to step away from constant noise to improve our conscious listening.

💡Mixer

The 'mixer' is an exercise that encourages people to consciously listen to multiple sound channels in their environment. In noisy places like a coffee shop, the speaker suggests listening for individual sounds to enhance auditory perception. This practice trains the listener to be more aware of their auditory surroundings, improving their overall listening skills.

💡Savoring

Savoring is about appreciating everyday sounds that are often overlooked. The speaker uses the example of his tumble dryer, describing its rhythmic pattern as a waltz. This concept teaches us to find beauty in mundane noises, enriching our listening experience by encouraging mindfulness and enjoyment of the hidden sounds around us.

💡Listening Positions

Listening positions refer to the ability to consciously adjust how we listen depending on the context. The speaker explains that we can shift our focus to different aspects of sound, whether it be analytical or empathetic, to suit the situation. This concept helps listeners become more adaptable and intentional in their listening habits.

💡RASA

RASA is an acronym that stands for Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, and Ask. It represents a communication strategy for effective listening. 'Receive' means giving full attention, 'Appreciate' involves making small acknowledgments, 'Summarize' ensures understanding, and 'Ask' encourages further clarification. The speaker uses this method as a practical tool for improving both listening and communication.

💡Conscious Listening

Conscious listening is the act of deliberately paying attention to sound, as opposed to passive hearing. The speaker advocates for teaching this skill in schools to foster deeper connections between people and their environment. Conscious listening is essential for understanding others, living fully, and staying connected spiritually, as the speaker points out that it is at the heart of every spiritual path.

Highlights

We spend roughly 60% of our communication time listening, but we retain only 25% of what we hear.

Listening is defined as making meaning from sound; it's a mental process of extraction.

Pattern recognition helps us differentiate noise from signal, as seen in situations like cocktail parties.

Differencing is a technique where we stop hearing constant sounds after a while, tuning into changes.

Filters shape our listening by guiding what we pay attention to, often unconsciously influencing our reality.

Intention plays a crucial role in listening, especially in relationships, where listening attentively can strengthen bonds.

Sound places us in space and time, providing cues about the environment and the flow of time.

Our reliance on recording technologies has diminished the need for careful and accurate listening.

The world has become noisier, making it harder and more tiring to listen, causing many to withdraw into personal sound bubbles.

The art of conversation is being replaced by personal broadcasting, leading to less genuine listening in interactions.

Media and headlines now need to shout for attention, making it harder to appreciate subtle or quiet sounds.

Conscious listening leads to understanding and connection; without it, the world becomes a more disconnected and frightening place.

Simple exercises like practicing silence, savoring everyday sounds, and adjusting listening positions can improve conscious listening.

The acronym 'RASA' stands for Receive, Appreciate, Summarize, and Ask, helping to improve communication and listening.

Teaching listening in schools is essential for fostering understanding, connection, and peace in future generations.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

we are losing our listening

we spend roughly 60% of our

communication time listening but we're

not very good at it we retain just 25%

of what we hear now not you not this

talk but that is generally true

let's define listening as making meaning

from sound it's a mental process and

it's a process of extraction we use some

pretty cool techniques to do this one of

them is pattern recognition so in a

cocktail party like this if I say David

Sara pay attention some of you just sat

up we recognize patterns to distinguish

noise from signal and especially our

name

differencing is another technique we use

if I left this pink noise on for more

than a couple of minutes you would

literally cease to hear it we listen to

differences we discount sounds that

remain the same and then there is a

whole range of filters these filters

take us from all sound down to what we

pay attention to most people are

entirely unconscious of these filters

but they actually create our reality in

a way because they tell us what we're

paying attention to right now give you

one example of that intention is very

important in sound in listening when I

married my wife I promised her that I

would listen to her everyday as if for

the first time now that's something I

fall short of on a daily basis but it's

a great intention to have in a

relationship

but that's not all sound places us in

space and in time if you close your eyes

right now in this room you're aware of

the size of the room from the

reverberation and the bouncing of the

sound off the surfaces and you're aware

of how many people are around you

because whether the micro noises you're

receiving and sound places us in time as

well because sound always has time

embedded in it in fact I would suggest

that our listening is the main way that

we experience the flow of time from past

to future

so sonority is time of meaning a great

quote I said at the beginning we're

losing our listening why did I say that

well there are a lot of reasons for the

first of all we invented ways of

recording first writing then audio

recording and now video recording as

well the premium on accurate and careful

listening has simply disappeared

secondly the world is now so noisy with

this cacophony going on visually and

auditorily it's just hard to listen it's

tiring to listen many people take refuge

in headphones but they turn big public

spaces like this shared sound escapes

into millions of tiny little personal

sound bubbles in this scenario nobody's

listening to anybody we're becoming

impatient we don't want oratory anymore

we want sound bytes and the art of

conversation is being replaced

dangerously I think by personal

broadcasting I don't know how much

listening there is in this conversation

which is sadly very common especially in

the UK we're becoming desensitized our

media have to scream at us with these

kind of headlines in order to get our

attention and that means it's harder for

us to pay attention to the quiet the

subtle the understated

this is a serious problem that we're

losing our listening this is not trivial

because listening is our access to

understanding consciousness thing always

creates understanding and only without

conscious listening can these things

happen a world where we don't listen to

each other at all is a very scary place

indeed

so I'd like to share with you five

simple exercises tools you can take away

with you to improve your own conscious

listening would you like that

good the first one is silence just three

minutes a day of silence is a wonderful

exercise to reset your ears and to

recalibrate so that you can hear the

quiet again if you can't get absolute

silence go for quiet that's absolutely

fine

second I call this the mixer so even if

you're in a noisy environment like this

and we or spend a lot of time in places

like this listen in the coffee bar - how

many channels of sound can I hear how

many individual channels in that mix am

i listening to you can do it in a

beautiful place as well like a lake how

many birds am i hearing where are they

where are those ripples it's a great

exercise for improving the quality of

your listening

third this exercise I call savoring and

this is a beautiful exercise it's about

enjoying mundane sounds this for example

is my tumble dryer it's a waltz

three one two three I love it or just

try this one on for size

[Applause]

Wow

so mundane sounds can be really

interesting if you pay attention I call

that the hidden choir it's around us all

the time the next exercise is probably

the most important of all of these if

you just take one thing away this is

listening positions the idea that you

can move your listening position to

what's appropriate to what you're

listening to this is playing with those

filters remember I gave you those

filters at the beginning it's starting

to play with them as levers to get

conscious about them and to move to

different places these are just some of

the listening positions or scales of

listening positions that you can use

there are many have fun with that it's

very exciting and finally an acronym you

can use this in listening in

communication if you're in any one of

those roles and I think that probably is

everybody who is listening for this talk

the acronym is rasa which is the

Sanskrit word for juice or essence and

rasa stands for receive which means pay

attention to the person appreciate

making little noises like oh okay

summarize the word so is very important

in communication and ask ask questions

afterwards now sound is my passion it's

my life I wrote a whole book about it so

I live to listen that's too much to ask

for most people but I believe that every

human being needs to listen consciously

in order to live fully connected in

space and in time to the physical world

around us connected in understanding to

each other not to mention spiritually

connected because every spiritual path I

know of has listening and contemplation

at its heart

that's why we need to teach listening in

our schools as a skill why is it not

taught it's crazy and if we can teach

listening in our schools we can take our

listening off that slippery slope to

that dangerous scary world that I talked

about and move it to a place where

everybody is consciously listening all

the time or at least capable of doing it

now I don't know how to do that but this

is Ted and I think the Ted community is

capable of anything so I invite you to

connect with me connect with each other

take his mission out and let's get

listening taught in schools and

transformed the world in one generation

to a conscious listening world a world

of connection a world of understanding

and a world of peace thank you for

listening to me today

[Applause]

[Music]