5 ways to listen better – julian treasure

5 Ways to Listen BetterSlides prepared by Oh Sher Li

Based on the talk by Julian Treasure

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The Problem

• With many methods of communication, we are forgetting how to listen.

• We don’t appreciate the little sounds around us.

Where has our listening gone?


what is listening?

• Listening is basically making meaning from sound.

what is it really?


The filters

•Culture

•Language

•Beliefs

•Attitudes

•Expectations

• Intentions

what defines what we hear? What do we listen to?


what does sound do?

• Places us in space and time.

• All sound has time embedded in it.

• Helps us determine the size of a room, the number of people, etc.

• Sonority is time and meaning. - Jean-Luc Nancy

why is it important?


1. silence


• 3 minutes a day of silence.

• Resets our ears and re-calibrates our listening.

• Lets us hear the silence again.


2. the mixer.


• Listen to the individual channels of sound.

• Improves the quality of our listening.


3. savouring.


• Enjoying mundane sounds in life.

• Teaches us to appreciate the little sounds.

• Can be very interesting.


4. listening positions.


• Move to a position that is appropriate to what you’re listening to.

• This is playing with the filters.


5. the acronym.


• RASA

• R: Receive

• A: Appreciate

• S: Summarise

• A: Ask

• This is suitable for most roles in life.


live to listen.

Listen consciously to live fully.

teach listening.


Thank you


5 ways to listen better – julian treasure

Education