Speak less, listen more

I like to listen. I have learnt a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen – Ernest Hemingway is spot on. As humans, we possess the unique ability to truly understand and empathise with someone when we listen. By listening carefully, we can learn a great deal. Yet, many are more focused on what they have to say rather than understanding what others are conveying. Listening is key to learning and understanding the world around us.

To listen is to discern. Someone rightly said, nowadays, it’s not ‘all ears; it’s all mouth’. Listening requires patience. To listen is to relate to the other person and to understand oneself. There’s pithy Persian dictum: Kamtar harf bezan, beshtar gosh kon; speak less, listen more. When everyone is speaking, it becomes the Tower of Babel. There’s only noise and chaos, whereas listening creates tranquillity. An agitated mind speaks. A calm and composed mind listens as it helps us process our thoughts and disentangle them.

Monks of Theravada Buddhist tradition are taught to listen and speak only when it’s necessary. Buddhists believe that talking and speaking are impulsive actions, whereas listening is a trained reaction; it’s a catalyst for sagacity. Words often create violence and negative vibes. Listening encourages silence and solitude. It is not just a sign of mental placidity, it’s also an indication of an individual’s existential evolution.