What Are You Listening To?

You have probably heard the age-old saying to be careful who you listen to and let rent space in your head. Like us, you may have understood the wisdom but failed to see how it connected. Well, many years later, we came to realize that the phrase stemmed from an anatomical truth – our ears are connected to our brainstems. Our brainstems are responsible for vital functions such as breathing, consciousness, sleep, heart rate, balance, coordination, and reflexes. Sounds travel through our ear canal, semicircular canals and to the vestibulocochlear nerve. This nerve is the connection between our ear and brainstem. Therefore, who we listen to can truly affect the way we behave.

Hearing is passive, unconscious; Listening is proactive, conscious.

Now, listening is more than simply hearing. It is an active, conscious action, and because of this, we tend to internalize what we listen to. As a result, what we listen to can shape the way we think and affect how we behave. For example, if you listened to your lab mentor speak highly about your work, you would begin to feel giddy, energetic, happy. In that moment, you have internalized the words and they have affected your thought process. Or what if you listened to a break-up song? It would trigger old memories, bring forth sadness, and may affect your heart rate.

The voices we allow in our space can truly affect us, sometimes in subtle ways. Someone could speak encouraging words to us and it immediately lifts our spirit. Or someone with bad intentions towards us could speak discouraging words, and if we fail to show discernment, those words can deflate our spirits. We could give up or pursue our dreams just by the words we have internalized. We can be greatly affected just by the words we have internalized.

You must discern where a person is speaking from and be careful what you listen to (or internalize)

We should first ask ourselves – who am I listening to? Whose voice is the loudest? The loudest voice in your ear is often the one that controls your mind. It is the voice that travels quickly from your ears to your brain, impacting your thoughts negatively or positively.

What you listen to and/or the voices that you internalize can shape the way that you think and change the way that you behave.