“He is a better talker than listener”. I noticed this statement in a recent Dutch newspaper article and it kept bugging me. It took me a day to realize that this statement is exemplary of today’s world: everybody seems better in talking than in listening. This makes me wonder why.
Throughout history, talkers (or writers) used to be teachers and listeners (or readers) used to be students. This process was about a transfer of knowledge. The Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras (c.570–c.495 BC) once stated: “Be silent or let thy words be worth more than silence”. The proverb “silence is golden” might even date back to ancient Egypt.
It’s tempting to argue that social media are accountable and responsible for this cultural change (ie, from listening to talking). Their platforms have (very) limited restrictions on the opinions of their users. However, people easily forget that Facebook only exists since 2004 (Wiki). Nevertheless, its user volume may be more relevant than its time of existence.
In the 1988 movie The Dead Pool, Clint Eastwood a.k.a. Dirty Harry already states: “Opinions are like assholes; everybody has one” (video). Long before him, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 AD – 180 AD) a.k.a. the Philosopher wrote: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
It feels safe to argue that listening has never been commonplace. The few people who didn’t talk (much) were easily mistaken for wise. Latter is also the premise of the 1979 movie Being there. Nevertheless, listening has always been regarded as a virtue and (too much) talking as a vice.
Moreover, there’s nothing new about “fake news” – apart from its (new) name. Previous names included urban legend, urban myth, “broodje aap verhaal” (Dutch for monkey sandwich story). The urban part is interesting as this suggests that fake news thrives on volume. Spreading nonsense in rural areas will backfire on the source.
Possibly, extreme beliefs – and its opinions – found a way into the public domain following the surge of social media (eg, Facebook). The overrepresentation of such extreme beliefs on social media might be the root cause for our feeling that something has fundamentally changed in society. In the past, newspapers moderated the letters to the editor.
Social media are slowly accepting some accountability and responsibility for user contributions (eg, hate speech, live streaming of mass murders, foreign interference in domestic elections). As long as these companies are legally allowed to consider themselves IT platforms rather than media companies, nothing much will change.
Such a Shame (1984) by Talk Talk ft. Mark Hollis (1955-2019)
artists, lyrics, video, Wiki-1, Wiki-2
Note: all markings (bold, italic, underlining) by LO unless stated otherwise
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