குறள் 411:
செல்வத்துட் செல்வஞ் செவிச்செல்வம் அச்செல்வஞ்
செல்வத்து ளெல்லாந் தலை
“Wealth (gained) by the ear is wealth of wealth; that wealth is the chief of all wealth” Kural 411
In the last few decades, there is so much information which you could access (albeit paid and free). What has happened? – people keep saying they know many things (which includes me) after reading few books, journals and articles.
This has resulted in the “I just want to tell you my point” syndrome during a coffee conversation, a recruitment discussion, a presentation of a startup idea. Books, articles have been written and shared with people around the world.
For instance, you may have come many times across “that person” who just never want to give an ear to listen, let alone allow you to tell your point. You could also be “that person” too.
One of the biggest most cited speeches “Lend me your ears” by Marc Antony after Julius Caesar was killed has shaped history and folklore. History has been shaped by speeches and with people listening to them rather than hearing them as mumbo jumbo and that is the power of listening. One needs to listen to what the speaker tells and allow your ears to understand, process, synthesize them at rapid speed, which the human brain is capable of.
Listening is the very basic of everyday life rather than considering it as a skill. Have you wondered, how do mothers know when their one (1) month old child needs to be fed or its time to sleep?
Tamil Scholar Valluvar, in his text informing the world about listening – we are talking 2,200 years ago – has written ten couplets dedicated to Hearing and Listening!
The college group discussions
This brings back memories of the group discussions, which was the rage for enterprises to filter candidates while hiring from colleges.
Reflecting on the group discussions, the themes which keep coming out: The students moving to the next stage were – the talkers, the talker with no valid points, the one who talked a lot without allowing others to talk and lastly the “I will counter every point raised”. Be wary in the long term, you could be found out as talking alone just doesn’t work!.
It begs the question when the individual who listened attentively, asking one question or informing one point which makes the group think, never always move to the next round. Does their talking ability only drive selection process?
You cannot teach a person how to listen – humans pick up different sounds naturally – instead what you want to learn through your conversations are: How you want to interpret what is being said to you and in the process; identify the message the sender wants to give to you; and what are you listening for?; as
“Noise is clutter
Hearing is sound
Listening is meaning”