Marie-Louise Mallet emphasizes the decreased control over…
![“Marie-Louise Mallet emphasizes the decreased control over the experience of listening as opposed to looking: To look is to choose one’s point of view. [ . . . ] To listen is to be “touched” without ever being able to touch what touches us, without being able to seize or retain it. [ . . . ] It is…” quote by Marie-Louise Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/e52/marie-louise-mallet-178765_communication_marie-louise-mallet-emphasizes-the-decre_1844589.jpg)
““Marie-Louise Mallet emphasizes the decreased control over the experience of listening as opposed to looking: To look is to choose one’s point of view. [ . . . ] To listen is to be “touched” without ever being able to touch what touches us, without being able to seize or retain it. [ . . . ] It is to hear what one listens to take its distance, lose itself like a fleeting echo. To listen is to not be able to maintain, to keep present. It is not being able to retain. It’s to not be able to come back. [ . . . ] What has been heard will be kept only in memory, that is, kept as lost, without ever assuring that we have heard well, without being able to reassure ourselves.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Listening is a passive reception that cannot be retained, unlike looking which chooses a viewpoint.
In simple terms: Listening receives without retaining, unlike active looking.
Key Takeaway
Practice active listening and note taking.
Themes
listening
perception
memory
attention
silence
Mood
contemplative
analytical
reflective
Type
Communication:1
Listening:1
Literature:0
Memory:0
Music:0
Point of view:0
Sound:0
Time:0
Vision:0
Experience Listening:0
Retain Hear:0
Listen Touched:0
Heard Kept:0
Mallet Emphasizes:0
When to use this quote
- education
- therapy
- music
- conversation
- research
Key Concepts
ephemeral experience
subjective viewpoint
cognitive limits
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you transform listening into active understanding?
- What tools help retain auditory information?
A Different Perspective
Listening cannot replace active engagement.