What you hear depends on how you focus your ear. We're not talking about inventing a new language, but rather inventing new perceptions of existing languages.
Philip GlassRead
The problem with listening, of course, is that we don't. There's too much noise going on in our heads, so we never hear anything. The inner conversation simply never stops. It can be our voice or whatever voices we want to supply, but it's a constant racket. In the same way we don't see, and in the same way we don't feel, we don't touch, we don't taste.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the challenge of truly listening due to the distractions of our inner thoughts.
Philip Glass highlights the pervasive issue of internal noise that prevents us from genuinely engaging with the world around us. He suggests that our continuous inner dialogue clouds our ability to listen, see, feel, touch, and taste, ultimately hindering our experiences and interactions. The quote serves as a reminder of the importance of quieting our minds to truly experience life.
Themes
ListeningInner DialogueDistractionAwarenessPerception
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a workshop on active listening skills.
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All quotes βA new language requires a new technique. If what you're saying doesn't require a new language, then what you're saying probably isn't new.
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