In today’s episode we will learn about the significant differences between hearing and listening, and the effects of confirmation bias.
We’re gonna take a spin on this episode and instead of me analyzing a speech, we’re going to learn together how to listen, instead of hear. And master how to think critically for ourselves.
A huge part of knowing this difference is to take in and listen to different views than our own, or what we’re used to.
A great example of learning about a different view is the very first scene of “Newsroom”, a 2012 political drama tv series starring Jeff Daniels who plays Will Mcavoy, a top news anchor. In the first scene of the whole show, Will is at a campus debate with colleagues when they are asked “Can you say why America is the greatest country in the world?”. His colleagues respond with diversity, opportunity, and freedom; and while all of these things are true… Will takes a different approach. He says: Newsroom Intro Scene [2:31- 4:42]
In this amazing first scene of the show, Will Mcavoy challenges a belief we are very comfortable with, that America is the best country in the world. This is what we need to do too. To become knowledgeable voters, and overall people, we must confront the beliefs we’re comfortable with and look at every side of the matter, just like Will did.
But how do you do this? Well the answer is simple: through learning how to be an open-minded listener. As I briefly explained in my very first episode, there are big differences between hearing and actually listening. Dr. William Lane, a bestselling author and advocate for neurodiversity in schools and the workplace, uses the words “accidental”, “effortless”, and “involuntary” to describe hearing. While the terms “being alert”, “conscious effort”, and “focused involvement” are used to describe the act of listening.
However, actually becoming a listener is easier said than done. This is due to humans having a natural tendency to hear instead of listen because we’re too busy thinking of an answer or response, most of the time we would rather desire to talk instead of listen during conversations. However, when we learn and develop the valuable skill of listening, we move past this hearing barrier, and use listening to fully understand and process what we’re being told.
A big factor of us listening versus hearing is where we get our information. As humans and young minds it’s extremely easier to just hear about news; either through our friends, social media, or parents, and not fully process or understand what we’re being told.
A part of this hearing issue is something called “confirmation bias”. Confirmation bias is defined by Britannica as “the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs”. Basically, we only want to believe what we are comfortable with, which causes an illogical and extremely biased thinking process. Something that definitely does not create the knowledgeable, open-minded voters and overall citizens that we are reaching for.
Think back to the Will Mcavoy clip. When he said “America is not the best country in the world”, we all probably flinched a bit. This is because we’re so used to hearing that the U.S. is the best country ever and it’s what we’re comfortable with because we live here, it's what we want to believe, no matter the facts and reasons on why it might not be in every aspect. This shows Will’s lack of confirmation bias and his ability to view the multiple sides of a situation. Which is exactly what we need to achieve as well.
So, here’s how you can listen properly: Dr. William Lane, who defined hearing versus listening for us earlier, says that the first step to becoming a listener is to “Focus on finding meaning in what you hear”, “Concentrate on the words that are spoken, understand information through your involvement in the conversation, and be alert to how the words are spoken”. Basically: pay attention when someone else is speaking. His second step is “Do not interrupt. Avoid finishing sentences for or talking over the person who is speaking”. His final step is to “Ask open-ended questions. By asking who/what/where/when/how questions that pertain to what the speaker is talking about demonstrates that you are listening and want to learn more”.
I think some great questions to ask in any situation that will provoke critical thinking are “How do you know this?”, “Why does this matter?”, “Who could be affected by this?”, and “Can you give me an example?”. All of these questions require creative and relevant answers, which is a lot more helpful to everyone who is listening than the dreaded “yes” or “no” responses.
Another way we can think critically is by viewing different news sources. You can do this by checking out news stories from sources you typically wouldn’t look at. For example, if you or your family regularly watches CNN, check out sources like Fox News or The Washington Post, or the New York Times which may have different views on the same issues. Or you could consume more centered news stations that have little to no bias in their reporting. Examples of these are the Associated Press, Politico, NPR (which is the National Public Radio), or you could view an international source: such as the British Broadcasting Corporation.
One more way to challenge the sources of news you are familiar with is to distinguish between those that are news and those that are opinion. For example, using the two popular channels above, both Fox News and CNN have traditional news anchors and then anchors that are considered to deliver opinion news. To differentiate the two, during a 2020 lawsuit against Tucker Carlson, host of the popular Fox News 9pm hour, the judge in the case ruled that based on the general tenor of the show, that should inform the viewer that Carlson is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.' "Anchors like Don Lemon from CNN and Rachel Meadows from MSNBC have also used similar arguments of being opinion news sources.
Listening to news opinions, or people’s views in general, that are opposite to your own is a key step to becoming an open-minded, critical thinker. This also helps us to stay away from confirmation bias, because when we are open to hearing an opinion that is opposite of our own we’re less likely to just call it “fake news” or “untrue”, and more likely to try to understand why somebody else would think that. We can also develop this understanding by asking people the critical thinking questions I provided earlier.
While it might be easier to give in to confirmation bias and be comfy with our own beliefs, learning how to challenge those beliefs and fully listen to the views of other people is what this generation needs. We need people that think for themselves and don’t vote republican or democrat in elections because it’s who they’re used to voting for or who their parents voted for. We have to learn how to move beyond the “D” or the “R” that goes in front of a politician’s name, and instead to listen and use critical thinking to form our own knowledgeable voices.
Thank you for joining me on this episode! Subscribe and tune into the next episode where we will dissect the effects that social media has on news.