What's The Difference Between Hearing and Listening?

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When you’re in conversation with someone, it’s common for your mind to drift to other thoughts. When your mind begins to wander, you’re likely still hearing the other person, but you’re not truly listening to what they have to say. However, this can negatively impact your conversations and relationships with people, if they feel that you’re rarely listening to them.

“Many people use the words “hearing” and “listening” interchangeably; however, there are several important differences between the two,” saysKelly Workman, PsyD, a psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center. According to Workman, hearing is the passive intake of sound while listening is the act of intentionally working to comprehend the sounds you hear.

Hearing vs. Listening

HearingPassiveInvoluntaryRequires no effortPhysiological perception of soundListeningActiveVoluntaryRequires effortIntentional interpretation of sound

HearingPassiveInvoluntaryRequires no effortPhysiological perception of sound

Passive

Involuntary

Requires no effort

Physiological perception of sound

ListeningActiveVoluntaryRequires effortIntentional interpretation of sound

Active

Voluntary

Requires effort

Intentional interpretation of sound

Kelly Workman, PsyDThe saying ‘In one ear, out the other’ speaks to the difference between hearing and listening.

Kelly Workman, PsyD

The saying ‘In one ear, out the other’ speaks to the difference between hearing and listening.

Hearing

Hearing is a passive, involuntary, sensory process in which we perceive sounds. It is a physiological response that involves our perception of sound. It does not require focused attention…

For example, if you’re watching television, you can stillhearthe sound of traffic or sirens outside, your neighbor’s dog barking, and people laughing in the hallway.

Listening

Listening is an active, voluntary, and intentional process that involves making sense of the words and sounds you hear; it requires your attention. In turn, you may develop an emotional response to what you hear. Listening with the intent to understand is referred to asactive listening.

The Role of Hearing and Listening in Mental Health

Both hearing and listening play an important role in our lives. Hearing is a form of sensory input whereas listening is a way to formconnectionswith other people, according to Workman. She explains the role these functions play in our mental health.

Importance of Hearing for Mental Health

Hearing is an important sense that helps us navigate the world. The loss of hearing can have a profound effect on mental health as it could lead to anger, social withdrawal, changes in our sense of self-worth, anddepression.

It is important to keep in mind that using sign language and paying attention to body language are ways you can listen without the sense of hearing. You can seekmental health careif you are experiencing depression or adjustment difficulties due to the loss of hearing.

Importance of Listening for Mental Health

We are social beings and have a universal need for connection and belonging. Listening is what enables us to develop increased curiosity about other people’s experiences, increased compassion andempathy, and increased connection.

If you are not listening to others or being listened to, it can negatively affect your sense of connection andbelonging. You can probably think of a time when you were not being listened to; the experience may have caused you to feel devalued, uncared for, and lonely, all of which can contribute to feelings of shame, anxiety, and depression.

Listening and engaging with others can strengthen your relationships. Similarly, the lack of listening can create tension and distance in relationships, make it difficult toresolve conflicts, and affect your mental health and well-being.

Here’s Why Your Spouse Doesn’t Listen, and What to Do About It

What Is Hearing Without Listening?

“People often listen with the intent to respond rather than the intent to understand. This means that they are relying more on hearing than listening,” says Workman.

Workman lists some reasons why you may be hearing and not listening:

Kelly Workman, PsyDThe implication of hearing rather than listening is that it might be hard to feel connected to others.

The implication of hearing rather than listening is that it might be hard to feel connected to others.

It’s also possible that you just might not be that interested, in which case Workman says it is important to check in with your values and have awareness of what types of connection and relationships are important to you and what type of communication partner you want to be.

Why It Benefits You to Become a Better Listener With Psychiatrist Mark Goulston

Tips to Become a Better Listener

It is in fact possible to become a better listener. Workman suggests some tips that can help you improve your listening skills:

A Word From Verywell

While we often equate hearing with listening, the former is typically a passive activity whereas the latter is more active. There are in fact steps you can take to become a better listener. Making the effort to actively listen to the people around you can help youconnectwith them and improve your relationships with them.

Strengthen Friendships With Good Listening Skills

2 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tyagi B.Listening: An important skill and its various aspects.The Criterion International Journal in English. 2013;12.Blazer DG, Tucci DL.Hearing loss and psychiatric disorders: A review.Psychological Medicine. 2018;49(6): doi:10.1017/s0033291718003409

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tyagi B.Listening: An important skill and its various aspects.The Criterion International Journal in English. 2013;12.Blazer DG, Tucci DL.Hearing loss and psychiatric disorders: A review.Psychological Medicine. 2018;49(6): doi:10.1017/s0033291718003409

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Tyagi B.Listening: An important skill and its various aspects.The Criterion International Journal in English. 2013;12.Blazer DG, Tucci DL.Hearing loss and psychiatric disorders: A review.Psychological Medicine. 2018;49(6): doi:10.1017/s0033291718003409

Tyagi B.Listening: An important skill and its various aspects.The Criterion International Journal in English. 2013;12.

Blazer DG, Tucci DL.Hearing loss and psychiatric disorders: A review.Psychological Medicine. 2018;49(6): doi:10.1017/s0033291718003409

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