Many people fail to absorb important information because, instead of hearing the message, they just listen. Although the two verbs sound synonymous, their functionality is quite distinct. While listening is simply recognizing the sound, listening is linked to understanding, understanding and absorbing what the content of the sound means. For example: a person who only hears the phrase: “Don't touch it, because it's dangerous” will probably, if necessary, touch what was asked to keep a distance. Whether out of disdain or a moment of distraction, the message of danger wasn't understood, so she just listened to what was said. If I had listened, understood the real danger of not following the guidance, I would certainly have acted differently.
In a world full of messages all the time, at home, at work, on the street, on the internet, etc., the amount of information that reaches us does not always allow us to filter properly what really deserves to be heard. Generally, people who suffer from anxiety or go through an extremely busy routine suffer from this difficulty in properly understanding information. When they forget to do something, it's not because there's been contempt or they're hearing impaired, but because they're having trouble filtering out what's most important. A sieve can sift sand, but if it's beans, for example, it loses effectiveness. The same is true of our thoughts.
When we realize that we are having difficulty filtering what is said, maybe it's time to reduce our routine. The first step in taking action sensibly is for it to be absorbed into our minds. If the ear is the gateway to this and is working in an unregulated way, the search for a psychologist can help to get us back on track.
Text written by Diego Rennan from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team
