Which Of The Following Are Differences Between Hearing And Listening

Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuff

When I was younger, my parents would often tell me to “listen” when they were trying to get my attention. What they didn’t realize is that there are two different types of listening: hearing and listening. Hearing is more passive while listening requires active participation in the conversation. As a result of this misunderstanding, I find myself constantly asking people which one they mean when they say listen.

Hearing is an involuntary response to sound waves that reach the ear. Listening, on the other hand, is a conscious act that requires engagement and attention. While hearing can be unintentional, listening should always be intentional because it’s what drives good communication. The following blog post will explore some of the differences between hearing and listening as well as how they impact our interactions with others. 

Listening is defined as the action of hearing something and understanding what it means whereas hearing is just perceiving sound. Listening takes more than just being able to hear something, you need to listen with the intent to understand why it’s important. It’s not enough to simply hear a conversation; we must also be listening for keywords and phrases that help us understand the topic at hand. Listening requires concentration that goes beyond merely comprehending sounds by focusing on understanding what someone is saying or trying to accomplish when they speak. If we don’t listen fully when someone speaks, we may completely miss what they are trying to tell us, leading them to feel unheard and unappreciated for their efforts which can lead to negative consequences such as low work productivity.

Comparison Between Hearing And Listening

Parameters of Comparison	Hearing	Listening
process	Hearing is a physical process that occurs when sound waves enter the ear	Listening is an emotional, mental, and spiritual process in which we give attention to what someone else is saying.
Require	Listening requires focusing on the speaker’s words	hearing only registers sound waves.
System	You can hear without listening	but not listen without hearing.
Type	Listening is an active process	the listener chooses what to hear and notice
Effort	Less effort	More effort

What Is Hearing?

Hearing is a sense that allows individuals to receive information about their surroundings. For example, when someone speaks in front of you and your ears pick up the sound waves coming from his or her mouth, it is because your ears have interpreted those sound waves as something meaningful. In other words, hearing occurs when vibrations are translated into neural impulses by sensory organs such as the ear. These nervous impulses travel along auditory nerves to the brain where they are perceived. Hearing can also be defined as simply being aware of sounds around us through our five senses: touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. When we hear things with our ears we become more aware of what’s going on around us which helps us stay safe and live a healthy life.

Hearing is the ability of humans and other animals to perceive sound by detecting vibrations. The study of hearing and deafness is called otolaryngology or otology, which can be divided into three parts: medical diagnosis, surgical treatment, and prevention of hearing loss. Hearing impairment can be caused by many factors including genetics; infection; injury; aging; as well as exposure to loud noises such as those from machinery or tools like chainsaws. Loud sounds can damage hair cells in the inner ear that change sound waves into signals for our brains to interpret. If these hairs are damaged they cannot grow back so it’s important we try not to expose ourselves to too much noise pollution because it could lead to permanent deafness (Harrison).

What Is Listening?

Listening is a very important skill in business. When you are trying to sell a product or service, the customer must know they can trust you and your company. If they don’t know how to do this, then it will be difficult for them to buy from your company. Customers want to feel like their opinions matter and if you listen carefully enough, then they’ll tell you exactly what they want. It’s up to us as professionals in the business to take those cues and turn them into something profitable for our companies.

Listening is a fundamental part of life, both at work and home. However, many people are not aware that there are different levels or types of listening. When someone is speaking to you, how much attention do you pay? People often think they are good listeners; however, it takes more than just hearing the words someone says to be considered a good listener.

10 Differences Between Hearing And Listening

1. Hearing is a physical process that occurs when sound waves enter the ear and vibrate our eardrums.

2. Listening is an emotional, mental, and spiritual process in which we give attention to what someone else is saying.

3. Listening requires focusing on the speaker’s words while hearing only registers sound waves.

4. When you are listening, your brain processes information at different levels of understanding – from bits of sounds to meanings.

5. Listening also involves paying attention to body language for nonverbal cues about feelings or emotions.

6. You can hear without listening but not listen without hearing.

7. Listening is an active process where the listener chooses what to hear and notice.

8. Hearing is passive, meaning that you are exposed to sounds without choosing what to listen to.

9. Listening requires more effort than hearing because it requires concentration.

10. The difference between hearing and listening is illustrated by this analogy – if someone talks about their favorite color, they will probably say “I like blue” or “my favorite color is blue.” You may hear them say these words but not understand the meaning behind them – only after you ask questions do you find out what they mean by those words.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Hearing

1. Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition in adults, behind arthritis and obesity.

2. Approximately one in five Americans between the ages of 20-69 has some form of hearing impairment.

3. Some people are born with hearing loss; others develop it over time due to age, exposure to noise, or other factors.

4. The average person’s ability to hear decreases by 1% per year after they reach 20 years old. 

5. About 33% of elderly people suffer from moderate or severe hearing losses; this increases to 50% among those who are 75+ years old.

6. Men experience more hearing loss than women – 60% vs 40%, respectively.

Interesting Statistics Or Facts Of Listening

1. Listening is the most important life skill.

2. People with better listening skills are more likely to be successful.

3. The average person spends 50% of their day communicating, and only half of that time communicating verbally.

4. Listening improves your memory, problem-solving skills, and creativity.

5. A good listener can make a positive impression on others.

6. It takes about twice as long to communicate something new as it does to listen to someone else’s communication.

Conclusion About The Differences Between Hearing And Listening

Listening is an active process. It takes more than just hearing to listen and understand what someone else has said or wants you to do. Good listeners are attuned, aware of the context in which they’re listening, and can empathize with their counterparts when appropriate. When you treat all conversations as though they were important, it will be easier for your customers to feel heard because you respect them enough to put some effort into understanding who they are at a deep level rather than simply being content with hearing sound coming out of their mouths.

Both hearing and listening are important, but companies should invest their time in more than just understanding what people hear. Listening is the key to creating a strong customer relationship with your brand as well as developing empathy for those you serve. When it comes down to it, there’s no substitute for one-on-one conversations that create an environment of mutual respect and understanding. With all of these things considered, we recommend you make sure there’s someone on your team who can dedicate themselves solely to listening (and not just hearing) and cultivating relationships with customers at every opportunity possible—this person could be anyone from a salesperson or account executive to an HR representative or even CEO.

References:

Resource 01: https://www.sightmd.com/hearing-long-island/what-is-hearing/#:~:text
Resource 02: https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/listening-skills.html#:~:text