Why are we such bad listeners, retaining only one-eighth of what we hear? Two reasons: (0:19) Reason #1: Schools teach reading, not listening: Listening is a different activity from reading and requires different skills. Reading and listening do not improve at the same rate when only reading is taught. Reading ability is continually upgraded while listening ability degenerates. **The typical student graduates into a society where they will have to listen about three times as much as they read. But they're only taught to read.** (1:25) Neurology: Our brains were not meant to read but to listen (campfire). Far off vistas calm the brain, close-up text creates cortisol. (2:00) Reason #2: Our brains. We think much faster than words are spoken: Words race through our brains at speeds much higher than 125 words per minute. We receive words at a very slow pace compared with brain capabilities. Related episodes: Listening: You Remember 1/8 of What's Said (Part 1 of 2) What is vocal fry? - YouTube "The 7-38-55 Rule for Better First Impressions": 40% of attitude conveyed through tone & inflection. 4/14/2022 episode My favorite podcast tools: Riverside: record a podcast: emilybinder.com/riversideDescript: edit audio or video: emilybinder.com/descript ThinkersOne Videos: Order a short greeting (like a Cameo), a Zoom drop-in, or a keynote: emilybinder.com/thinkersone Subscribe free: emilybinder.com/podcast Coaching session: emilybinder.com/call Connect: My website | Beetle Moment Marketing | LinkedIn | X | Instagram | YouTube | Get email updates Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.