In Times Of Crisis, Listen

There is so much turmoil in the world today. It's probably fair to say that it's always there, parts of society just choose not to see it sometimes. Perhaps we collectively tire and at the same time, a large percent of the population chooses the fast way to learn rather than the time-consuming research-founded way. Sometimes we can't help it though, society today has been designed for us to fail whether we realize it or not and there is only one way to solve it. By listening.

Media & Mass Consumption

For centuries, the world has been pressured to be in the know and on the rise, constantly in a state of competition. Whether it's something complex like expanding or taking back a country, politics, or even being the first to a new social media trend, it's hard to think of a time when the world wasn't gunning for first place, literally. At the core of it all is a swirling growing beast, ever-changing and always in disguise, media. The way the world consumes media has vastly changed over this more digital era, constantly speeding up. The problem is the faster media is produced and the faster we consume it, the more we lose control.

Time- The Most Valuable Commodity

When we think of a speeding vehicle, getting faster and faster, what does our brain tell us will happen? An eminent crash is in the future after a certain speed is reached. We know that as long as vehicles have existed, we will lose control if we go too fast due to the correlating reaction time decreasing. There is no difference in media and how the masses consume it. The quicker we produce media, the more likely we will be expected to continue that rate of production. The masses will expect it along with those needing to stay ahead of competitive media sources. This in itself is the problem though, we strip ourselves collectively of the precious commodity of time. That means the time we have to research before reacting goes down and our brains even rewire to skip research altogether.

Misnomers, Miscommunication, & Manipulation

By forgoing fact-checking and research of what we consume in media, we become part of the problem. It means we immediately take the information put in front of us and believe every detail of it (especially when well-written). The problem with that is a mixture of human error and that humans intentionally design errors. Whether it is a misnomer, a miscommunication, or even intentional manipulation, they all play an equally harmful part in creating chaos. Sure mistakes happen, but what happens after the mistake is often quite telling. So what do we do as a society of people both creating and consuming media?

We Need To Listen More

When in doubt, stop and listen. Chances are you are missing important details that might change your point of view entirely. Just because you see something trending, doesn't mean you should jump on the bandwagon and share your take on the matter. The repercussions of not doing your due diligence by researching trending topics first can lead to loss of relationships, loss of business, and even loss of life in extreme cases. All of which are heavy burdens to bear.

You Are Impactful

Don't forget that the media you create, share, and respond to has an immediate impact on not only others but yourself as well. Words, imagery, and even sounds have been shown to make lifelong impacts on the brain so try to keep that in mind. You have the choice to be impactful in either a positive or negative way and having a negative impact on others will also have a long-term impact on you.

Nobody Knows Everything

It is impossible for the human brain to absorb and utilize information to the maximum capacity of that information's existence. The more your brain focuses on one piece of information, the more it finds other things less important. Eventually, your brain forgets the less important information altogether. Your brain has a habit of being highly subjective as well so topics one person finds important are not going to be important in the same way to others. What you did as an infant is very likely a forgotten detail aside from photos and anecdotal stories that have been shared. The brain has moved on to more recent information and forgotten details like the name of someone long ago. When taking in the media of others, remember that our brains can't possibly process all the same information and all the same details as we have very different life experiences. Knowing this will help you work towards listening to other's viewpoints.

You Can Rewire Your Brain

Remember how I just said the brain is very subjective? Still true now as we talk about rewiring your brain. The person I grew up as is very different from the person writing this article today. I've allowed my curiosity for life and others to change how I view the world. Allow yourself to listen to others who have different backgrounds from yourself, and do so with an open mind. If you go in thinking you will learn nothing, you're right. Your already closed-off mindset will not allow you to take in new information and change how your brain operates. The more diversity you allow in your life, the more diverse in thinking you become, and that's a superpower.

Most Importantly- Listening Can Change The World For The Better

Can you imagine a world where listening to others is placed top of the tier? Ever have a problem you want others to not just hear but to listen to? Chances are others have thought the very same thing about you. I'm guilty of hearing someone but not listening, and each time I do this, there is a consequence to pay. If we all take time to truly listen to what's happening to others in the world, before responding, perhaps we will learn something important. We can learn that others are in need of help too and that perhaps joining forces will lighten the burden. We can learn that the more we try to control others or a situation, the more it fails. But most importantly, we can learn that we are not alone in this world.