Listening is a skill that sometimes seems forgotten, tossed aside for the skill of talking or debating. We tend to like to offer our own opinion and experiences. However, listening is a must in order to cultivate true understanding and empathy for people around us and in far away places. It often seems that we don’t listen, but instead react. It seems an even harder skill to listen to people who have different experiences and opinions than ourselves. Really listening to someone instead of just thinking about what you want to say next. Slowing down to comprehend and process the words. Having patience to hear them out. Having humility to ask if you do not understand. Generally, I think we all want to be understood, so take that feeling within yourself and extend it to others, who also want to be understood. Words can be messy and emotions can charge a conversation, but if we can practice listening I think we are going to come out the other side with increased compassion, empathy, and more knowledge. Social media often seems charged on responding, as that is what is rewarded. How can we better listen to people in that space? How can we better listen to people standing in front of us?
As a white man in this world, I need to do a better job listening to black voices, brown voices, women’s voices. Listening to the voices of different experiences and struggles. The voices of different perspectives and concerns. There is no shortage of opportunities to do this nowadays, with the internet making the world a smaller place and more accessible to information.
There’s a book called Farming While Black. We have not read it yet, but are ordering ourselves copies of it. Even though we can’t offer any words recommending it from a perspective of having read it, the book stands out as a powerful and needed study on race and farming. We are enthusiastically waiting to have it in our hands.
How do we listen better? We can seek out resources from people who are asking us to listen. We can physically listen instead of talking more. We can examine our own issues and work on them in order to better be present for others. We can act in service of the others and listen to stories.
- Joe Kilcoyne
Wild Earth Farm Founder