Listening Sincerely

“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.”  George Orwell

When I first read it, I thought this quote focused on speakers (and writers.)  But speaking assumes listening.  No matter how clearly I speak, if the listener is insincere, the language will be unclear.  Yet it will be based on a decision of the listener, and not the fault of the speaker.

People hear what they want to hear.  The speaker cannot go beyond the barrier of will.  To listen sincerely, I must want to hear what is said, and to understand from the speaker’s perspective.  This is harder than speaking with clarity for this reason:  If I want to express myself, all I have to do is “let it all out.”  Just say exactly what’s on my mind.  Yet it is all coming from my head and my heart.  But the listener has to decide if he wants to get out his own head.  She must choose to hear with the speaker’s ears.

Communication then rests on the sincerity of the listener. 

If the speaker chooses a willing listener, a sincere hearer, then he can guarantee true communication:  The exact message she sends is the exact message he receives.