Communication Quote by Marie-Louise Mallet
![“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/quotes/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
Source Essay: On Listening and Perception, 2015
Listening offers a fleeting, ungraspable experience, unlike seeing which allows deliberate perspective and control.
In simple terms: Listening is fleeting and hard to hold onto.
Key Takeaway
Embrace the transience of listening.
Themes
perception
ephemerality
memory
control
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- art criticism
- psychology lectures
- personal reflection
- mindfulness practice
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Phenomenology
subjectivity
temporality
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the impermanence of listening shape our understanding?
- Can we trust memory without verification?
A Different Perspective
Listening cannot be fully retained or verified later.
