--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Listening is an activity. It's not…" description: "\"Listening is an activity. It's not passive. We are creating the world by listening all the time.\" — Julian Treasure" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/julian-treasure-8346_communication_listening-is-an-activity-it-s-not-passiv_3050767.jpg" --- # Listening is an activity. It's not passive. We are… ![“Listening is an activity. It's not passive. We are creating the world by listening all the time.” quote by Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/julian-treasure-8346_communication_listening-is-an-activity-it-s-not-passiv_3050767.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/julian-treasure-8346_communication_listening-is-an-activity-it-s-not-passiv_3050767.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7a8/julian-treasure-8346_communication_listening-is-an-activity-it-s-not-passiv_3050767.jpg) > “Listening is an activity. It's not passive. We are creating the world by listening all the time.” [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Active listening shapes perception and constructs reality. **In simple terms:** Listening builds reality. Key Takeaway Listen actively, shape world. Themes communication perception creation Mood thoughtful engaged Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - education - leadership - media production Key Concepts mindful listening audio design Questions to Reflect On - How does your listening affect decisions? - What practices improve listening? A Different Perspective Listening can be overwhelmed by noise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [For years, my actual listening activity has been governed by what I perceived to be good for me as a musician, almost like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-thile/for-years-my-actual-listening-activity-has-been-governed-by-what-i/) [Chris Thile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-thile/) > [I have the thermometer in my mouth and I am listening to it all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-the-thermometer-in-my-mouth-and-i-am-listening-to-it-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think there is an enormous diference between speaking and writing. One rereads what one writes. But one might read it slowly or quickly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/i-think-there-is-an-enormous-diference-between-speaking-and-writing/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I've got CDs in my car, listening all the time for that next song, because everybody's looking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-ve-got-cds-in-my-car-listening-all-the-time-for-that-next-song/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [One thing I always loved about vinyl was the length of a side, around 20 or 22 minutes. That's the perfect length of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/one-thing-i-always-loved-about-vinyl-was-the-length-of-a-side-around/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [“Don't say that again. Life might be listening, and give you less the next time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/don-t-say-that-again-life-might-be-listening-and-give-you-less-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [You can change the world, but if no one's listening, it doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-malkmus/you-can-change-the-world-but-if-no-one-s-listening-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Stephen Malkmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-malkmus/) > [“Sometimes I don't feel I've translated them correctly. I listen to other songwriters and think they have translated their Sonic Light Being more concisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/sometimes-i-don-t-feel-i-ve-translated-them-correctly-i-listen-to/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [I've learnt a lot about Dad from going around the world and listening to other people. Whether I've been in Australia, the Caribbean, Leeds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-bairstow/i-ve-learnt-a-lot-about-dad-from-going-around-the-world-and-listening/) [Jonny Bairstow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-bairstow/) > [I know that it's my queer perspective that's helping people make songs that the world is listening to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/i-know-that-it-s-my-queer-perspective-that-s-helping-people-make/) [Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/) > [By and large, Americans close their ears to anything not in English. That's stupid because there's some great music around the world that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-simmons/by-and-large-americans-close-their-ears-to-anything-not-in-english/) [Gene Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-simmons/) > [It's becoming clear that the world is listening, so now we're trying to get new groups of people talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-zuckerman/it-s-becoming-clear-that-the-world-is-listening-so-now-we-re-trying/) [Ethan Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-zuckerman/) > [We have the capacity for about 1.6 human conversations, so if you're listening to one conversation particularly, you're only left with 0.6 for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/we-have-the-capacity-for-about-1-6-human-conversations-so-if-you-re/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [So many people are passive participants in their very short time of having a consciousness, and those who aren't inspire me. Like Malala Yousafzai…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-gelulla/so-many-people-are-passive-participants-in-their-very-short-time-of/) Dylan Gelulla > [“Passive...Aggressive...Pussy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-azzarello/passive-aggressive-pussy/) [Brian Azzarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-azzarello/) ## More by Julian Treasure > [We have the capacity for about 1.6 human conversations, so if you're listening to one conversation particularly, you're only left with 0.6 for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/we-have-the-capacity-for-about-1-6-human-conversations-so-if-you-re/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [People find birdsong relaxing and reassuring because over thousands of years, they have learnt when the birds sing, they are safe; it's when birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/people-find-birdsong-relaxing-and-reassuring-because-over-thousands/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [In the U.K., architects train for five years, and they spend one day on sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/in-the-u-k-architects-train-for-five-years-and-they-spend-one-day-on/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [You or I never buy an Intel product explicitly, and yet their sonic logo is far better known and more powerful than its visual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/you-or-i-never-buy-an-intel-product-explicitly-and-yet-their-sonic/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [If you're surrounded by noise all the time, it has a pretty bad effect on the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/if-you-re-surrounded-by-noise-all-the-time-it-has-a-pretty-bad-effect/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [The need to be right can arise from a fear of being disrespected. Or it may come out of the fear of being seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/the-need-to-be-right-can-arise-from-a-fear-of-being-disrespected-or/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [People often mistake our mission at The Sound Agency for a crusade for silence, but actually, silence is in many ways just as bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/people-often-mistake-our-mission-at-the-sound-agency-for-a-crusade/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [I would suggest that our listening is the main way that we experience the flow of time from past to future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/i-would-suggest-that-our-listening-is-the-main-way-that-we-experience/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [In a room full of 60 to 70 people which is open plan and absolutely quiet, it's very intimidating to make a phone call.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/in-a-room-full-of-60-to-70-people-which-is-open-plan-and-absolutely/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [When you hear a child's voice, it will have that immediate effect of putting you in mind of looking after children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/when-you-hear-a-child-s-voice-it-will-have-that-immediate-effect-of/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [My mother, in the last years of her life, became very negative, and it's hard to listen. I remember one day, I said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/my-mother-in-the-last-years-of-her-life-became-very-negative-and-it-s/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [A sonic logo on its own isn't going to do very much. We get frustrated with smaller brands who come to us and say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/a-sonic-logo-on-its-own-isn-t-going-to-do-very-much-we-get-frustrated/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [Men tend to listen in what I call a reductive way, which is to say for a point, for a solution. You know, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/men-tend-to-listen-in-what-i-call-a-reductive-way-which-is-to-say-for/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [I have visited a number of boutique hotels where you feel there is a little bit of self-indulgence going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/i-have-visited-a-number-of-boutique-hotels-where-you-feel-there-is-a/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) > [I think it's pretty pointless, my children learning to use a keyboard - we will just talk to our computers. Why would we not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-treasure/i-think-it-s-pretty-pointless-my-children-learning-to-use-a-keyboard/) [Julian Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) [Explore all 81 Julian Treasure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-treasure/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. I've been in a public bathroom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-reddy/i-ve-been-in-a-serious-conversation-with-one-of-my-children-and-a-fan/) [Helen Reddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-reddy/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Disability, in general, hasn't been included in the conversation about inclusivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-winston-george/disability-in-general-hasn-t-been-included-in-the-conversation-about/) [Jason Winston George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-winston-george/) > [“Women will be at least 50 percent of the communications community workforce … from executive suite to interns. Why? The “integrated” agency will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoram-wind/women-will-be-at-least-50-percent-of-the-communications-community/) Yoram Wind > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) [Browse all 21,506 Communication quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Listening is an activity. It's not passive. 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