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We continue to develop our thinking around the importance of listening. We have discussed previously that we are able to listen on four distinct levels (downloading, attentive, empathic and emergent). What we have not understood previously is WHY do we have these four different levels (when we seem not to have an analogous system with our vision, for example).
What has been known for a long time is that the brain can process information in four different ways, in increasing levels of complexity. These are sometimes known as assertive, cumulative, serial and parallel processing. What looks to be the case now is that each of these levels of listening accesses a different form of processing.
This has some very important implications. If as a child you LEARN to listen at the emergent level then it means many of your inputs will be parallel processed which likely means this form of processing will be preferentially developed.
Parallel processing is what allows us to make connections, join the dots, have insights and process massive amounts of diverse inputs. In short, it is the way to develop very high cognitive ability.
How might a child learn this way of listening? Because an adult is modelling it to them. Who should be best at this? Obviously, parents but, and this is essential, teachers.
On the other hand, a child who LEARNS to listen at the downloading level will access assertive processing (which is normally considered to be pre-verbal) and will have limited cognitive development. Harsh discipline and rote learning will have that effect.
Two blogs ago I talked about the behaviours that these different levels of listening led to but now it seems increasingly clear that the shaping of the brain is taking place directly through the medium of listening as well as indirectly through the behaviours associated with each listening level.
This can also explain how children can turn out quite differently with the same teacher. The teacher can be modelling a different form of listening to different children: empathic or emergent to favoured children, attentive listening to the average child and downloading to the children who cannot behave as the teacher wants. Over time these children will turn out quite differently.
I am still somewhat stunned by this insight (not mine, incidentally, but a good friend’s) and how it cracks open so easily why our education systems are currently failing us and how they could so easily be transformed.
It also explains so readily how we can get at shifting cultures more systematically as we have discussed previously.
Exciting times indeed!
