Listen

by guest blogger Mikayla Phan

According to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary, the general definition of “listen” is to “pay attention to someone or something in order to hear what is being said, sung, played, etc.”  It expands with another slightly more detailed form: “to hear what someone has said and understand that it is serious, important, or true.”  When I look further, I discover the very simple description of the word as an intransitive verb, “to pay attention to sound <listen to music>.”  However, it does give an alternative form, one that is a bit more inclusive: “to hear something with thoughtful attention:  give consideration <listen to a plea>.”

In contrast, on the website for the US Department of State, there is a section under “Active Listening”.  (http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/65759.htm)  Much to my surprise, it features the Chinese character for the word “listen”.  You see, having lived and learned the Chinese culture in Beijing, China for over a decade, as well as having a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese history, I am thrilled to see a bridge like this formed between East and West.  As outlined on their website, the Chinese character for the word “listen” is a pictograph, as are all Chinese characters.  On the left side is the symbol for “ear”, and on the right side is the concept of the individual, showing the symbols for “eyes”, “undivided attention”, and “heart”.  In other words, the word for “listen” indicates that true listening is achieved with much more than just the ears.  The Chinese were telling us that active, or intentional listening is done with all of our senses.  It involves not only our ears (and both ears!), but also our eyes, conscious mind, and emotional connectivity.