Volume Down, Ears Open: The Quiet Power of Listening

April 10, 2025

Writer: Stella Siegel

Editor: Samantha Slogoff

We live in a paradox: everyone wants to be heard, but few are truly listening.

Not the kind of listening that lingers. That sinks in. The kind that makes someone feel seen, not scanned — heard, not hurried.

We live in a culture of output. Say something. Post it. Share it. Fast.

Listening doesn’t match the tempo. It’s quiet. Slow. Invisible.

And that’s precisely what gives it power.

While the world speeds up, the listener moves differently, altering the pace, softening the noise, and turning a stream of words into a current of connection.

We don’t think of listening as a skill, but it is. Subconsciously, many of us fall to the lower end of the listening proficiency spectrum. When done well, listening communicates: You're safe here. Keep going. 

When done well, listening breeds the most sought-after feelings: understanding, empathy, and compassion. 

Think about the people you trust the most—your go-to phone call. Chances are, they do not always say the right thing. They’re the ones who let you speak your mind, without rushing you, without redirecting it back to themselves, without needing to fix or reframe or one-up you. They just let it land. And that makes all the difference.

They’re the ones who let you share freely, absent of rushed conversing, self redirection, or a need to fix or reframe your words. These skilled individuals have a unique faculty to simply, let it land. They make all the difference.    

Humans physically undergo a psychological shift when they sense someone’s genuine listening. Our thoughts become clearer. We develop confidence in our thoughts and feelings. We become braver. We say the things that build up uncertainties in our minds. We discover our thoughts in true form and time because someone else is creating space for us to figure it out. 

Being a good listener doesn’t mean complete silence though. It means sheer engagement. Curiousity. Grounding. It means understanding the power of individual thoughts, resisting the urge to hijack someone else’s story just to insert your own. It means holding off on advice unless it’s asked for. It means being okay with moments of silence and not rushing to fill them.

So why is it so hard?

Because we’ve been taught to believe that in our world, speaking is power, that if we don't assert ourselves or share, we’re disappearing. To be a good listener transcends silence. It requires intention, focus, and a temporary suspension of ego.

Becoming a better listener doesn’t require a complete overhaul — just a few small shifts. Here are a few that go a long way:    

1. Let people finish.

Don’t jump in with your version. Silence speaks volumes.

2. Stop multitasking.

Close the laptop. Turn your phone over. One of the quickest ways to make someone feel unimportant is to pretend to listen while doing something else.

3. Stop rehearsing your reply.

You don’t need the perfect response. Just be with them.

4. Hold back the urge to relate.

Not everything has to loop back to you. Sometimes the best response is no response.

5. Listen like you’re wrong.

This is hard, but the dynamic shifts when you enter a conversation believing there’s something you don’t know. You absorb instead of waiting to speak.

Listening by nature is quiet and impactful. In its own way, it’s incredibly loud. Be that person. The one who hears what’s said and what isn’t. The one who listens like it matters.

Because it does.