The public conversation is in crisis: dialogue has become an exchange of monologues where agreement seems impossible. Increasing polarisation has blocked any attempt at consensus on the major challenges facing business and the country.
The problem goes beyond politics. A lack of listening has seeped into our everyday conversations, impoverishing the quality of dialogue. We have forgotten that between perceiving and acting there must be a key step: thinking. Without this space for reflection, communicating becomes an empty exercise.
Constant distractions - from WhatsApp to social media to Netflix offerings - have eroded our ability to pay real attention to the other. Listening is not just about hearing words: it is about taking in the concerns of the listener, making them feel understood.
This shortcoming also affects democracy, which suffers because listening requires effort. Often we only listen until we get the general idea and then we withdraw into our own interests. While the other person is still talking, our mind has already switched off.
Relearning to listen requires inner calm and courage to sustain the discomfort it can generate. The lack of listening is compounded by the constant pressure to perform, which prevents full communication. Under such demands, it is difficult to truly perceive the person in front of us.
Recovering the quality of our conversations involves two essential steps: learning to listen and freeing ourselves from an obsession with productivity. Giving full attention, even to a stranger, can transform our relationships. Summer offers the perfect opportunity to try this change: turn off the mobile phone and turn on listening.