When George Monbiot says “listen” we pay attention

George Monbiot has been right on so many things-climate change, river pollution, re-wilding- and often so far ahead of the curve, that when he comes up with something new, we take notice. Today he tackles an agonising question: why are the political extremes doing so well, and the messaging of what we used to call rational parties not cutting through? George thinks he knows why, and what’s more, thinks he has a way of making up lost ground. He calls it radical listening. [1]

George notes that just relying on focus groups or turning up on someone’s doorstep and arguing changes very little. Especially the arguing: we’ve noticed that most people will resort to the most twisted verbal convolutions and distortions rather than lose face by admitting that the first thing they said was wrong. Radical listening, according to George, means spending quite a bit of time with people, just letting them talk and giving them space to say what’s really on the minds. He even reports on a variation of the technique which was tried out in the streets of certain small towns in Devon, with remarkable results, But you should read those bits for yourself.

And why do we think George is right? Because we have observed that most of the mistakes in the world are made by Important and Powerful Men(mostly) who are far too busy to listen to anyone, spending their time making Big Decisions quickly, which lets them move on to making the next decision…..Plus: something  first observed by another George, this time one called Orwell. Who noticed that what people say, and the political, philosophical  or religious opinions they aspire to, are often the result of deep emotional states and preoccupations which are actually quite distinct from the manifestoes and policy positions these philosophies ostensibly adduce.    Listening is a skill in all sorts of areas-sales, learning languages, human relationships, even management, occasionally. And its defining characteristic is humility. Perhaps Plutarch says things best of all

“Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly.”

Moralia, “On Listening to Lectures”

[1]Imagine a technique that can heal Britain of division and keep out the hard right. I call it ‘radical listening’ | George Monbiot | The Guardian

#populism #listening #politics #economics #alienation #Right #Left

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