Earlier when I was walking with my brother on campus, he was discussing something and when he was asking me what I thought or if I found what he was talking about interesting, I sounded as if I had zoned out because of all the other individuals around us. I became distracted easily. That is why I decided to discuss Sensing(Hearing the Message) because as the text states, even being able to hear sounds and repeat words is not the same as "sensing" or hearing the message. It is important to keep in mind that sensing or hearing the message is a voluntary act and this is an important part of listening and occurs as a result when we decide which messages we want to hear. Also as the text states, "hearing and listening to the message are influenced by selective attention and the amount of external and internal noise"(Harris & Sherblom, 115-116). That is also why noise is an imperative process part of sensing (hearing the message) because since there are two types of noises (external and internal), either one of those noises can affect how we sense the message being stated to us. If I am distracted by another thought or thoughts going through my head while someone is trying to talk to me about something, such as when my brother was talking to me earlier, then I will not be able to fully sense the message that was being stated because of the noise which caused a distraction.
I could have overcome the noise (which is what I usually do) by tuning out those around us and just focusing on what my brother was trying to tell me. I noticed because I was also looking at the individuals that were coming from right behind us, in order for me to be able to have sensed the message more and have my ears open, was if I did not also look at the individuals. When I looked at the individuals, my hearing became distracted. That is why I thought this component of listening was very informative and helpful to be aware of.
Hi Food Junkie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. I can totally relate to your story. There have been many times where I have not been paying attention to what someone is saying to me because I am distracting with whats going on around me. I can hear what they are saying but not consuming any of the information. I find that in a situation, especially when the conversation is important, it is useful to actually schedule a time to talk where you can have more privacy. If that's not possible than making sure to look the person in the eye can help focus your attention. I think we have all experienced this type of listening and have struggled with it at one time or another... I know I have and I sometimes worry if they notice that I am accidentally not paying attention... ooops :) Great post!
-Jessica
Hello....I also liked reading your post because this happens to me all the time when I talk with my friends and it gets frustrating. It mostly happens if I’m busy at the time that friends try to talk to me so I answer back with really short answers. What I usually try to do is just put what I’m doing on hold for a moment while I’m talking (if its not important) and just see what they want to say. I also can relate because at times the simplest thing with distract me from a conversation so I have to try and stay focused on what my friend is saying instead of what is going on around me.
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned how keeping eye contact with the individual you are speaking with can help you sense the message better because you can read their lips and the rest of their body language even when you can't really hear what they are saying. Sometimes when I'm carrying on a conversation with friends in loud places like restaurants or out at the bars or clubs, I feel like I cannot really invest in our conversation because I cannot sense what they are saying. Unfortunately, I am also guilty of being that person that says "oh really?" or "oh, yeah" as a substitute answer or response when I really did not hear the person said. This is why I think it's important you mentioned looking directly at the person and only at the person. When you are out in public we automatically look at the people enveloped in our surroundings which takes away from really understanding the message even if we can hear it.
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