The difference between listening and hearing is a subtle yet deeply potent distinction that underpins our whole approach to living well. So, without supporting narrative, metaphor or story, we will state it plainly. In future Field Notes we’ll explore it further, introducing metaphor, wordplay, myth and legend to help cultivate an environment in which this understanding may blossom.

We hope these reflections resonate with you and sing to your whole being-ness.

The Oxford English Dictionary

Listening

Listening is the act of giving one’s attention to a sound or action. It is the process of receiving, interpreting and understanding spoken messages or aural stimuli through the ears.

Hearing:

Hearing is the faculty or sense by which sound is perceived, or an official meeting where facts and evidence are presented to a person or group who must decide upon an action.

The Tao Te Ching sums it up beautifully:

“In the pursuit of knowledge, every day something is gained.

In the pursuit of the Tao, every day something is released.”

To Listen.

Is to learn.

It is an active, thinking-mind-focused pursuit.

We listen to instructions and guidance.

We listen to the teacher.

We listen to music, plays and poetry.

Listening is an activity of learning, categorising and forming constructs.

Some might say, “Listen to the natural world, it helps you relax.” Yet listening is often an engagement focused on identifying sounds, categorising them, and building a picture of understanding from the information gathered.

To Hear

Is accepting.

Allowing what is.

Does not grasp but witnesses.

Identification becomes irrelevant.

Hearing fosters peace and invites presence.

In our world, it occupies a different space.

When we hear the natural world without the need to identify, it envelops us like a warm duvet of sound, bringing us into focus, balance and presence.

The difference is both semantic and energetic; subtle and vast. Once the penny drops, it becomes difficult to mistake one for the other.

Simply put:

When we listen, we’ve found that we engage in and reinforce the construct.

When we hear, we step into presence.