REASONS TO LISTEN
We all talk, and we are surrounded by sound through the day – but how often do we actually listen? All too seldom, says Julian Treasure. His five TED talks on the art of speaking and listening have been viewed more than 160 million times. Hearing is something that just happens, he says, but listening is the most fundamental skill of all – and yet we don’t teach it to our children or train our staff on it.
In his global keynotes and workshops, Julian describes his concept of conscious listening, highlights the power of sound and the importance of silence, reveals why we don’t listen and what that’s costing us, and teaches how to listen effectively.
Today recognised as the world’s leading expert on conscious communication, Julian Treasure was originally a musician with indie bands and then a leading UK magazine publisher. He has received numerous awards and is widely featured in the media, and his third book, Sound Affects, explores the power and wonder of sound and the value of conscious listening in a noisy, distracted world. He lives in Kirkwall with his partner Jane Majendie and their two daughters, Holly and Sapphire.
“In modern living, the eyes rule the senses. We have become used to suppressing sound, and yet it still affects us all profoundly. Regaining our listening is a vital task, because noise creates ill health and antisocial behaviour, to name but two consequences. If we teach our children how to listen consciously, we can transform our world into a place of understanding and compassion in a single generation. Now that is a prize worth having.”
