Men, how many times has your wife told you something for a second time, claiming you weren’t listening when she told you the first time?

I have been married 45 years. I try to listen carefully to Nancy, but I have fallen short many times. Over the years, I have had a variety of excuses.

Recently I learned I may not have ever listened with all of my brain. I don’t want to startle you, but recent research shows women listen with both sides of their brains and men only one side.

Dog

Men Do Hear — But Differently Than Women, Brain Images Show

Men listen with only one side of their brains, while women use both, according to information on brain imaging presented Tuesday, Nov. 28, at the 86th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

The study may add fuel to the females’ argument, but researchers say the findings don’t address whether women are better listeners than men.

That peaked my interest. I decided to read more. I came across Men Can’t Hear: Sex-Linked Sensory Differences. It was eye opening to say the least and I discovered why I am color blind. Here are some interesting findings on listening:

  • According to a study from Johns Hopkins University, men are five and a half times more likely than women to experience hearing loss as they age, starting as young as 20 years old.
  • Men are more likely to need hearing aids, but women are more likely to wear them. (LOL)

Ok, I think the science suggests that women listen better than men. I wanted some ideas, other than wearing a hearing aid,  on what I could do to become a better active listener.

I found a very recent article: Become a Better Listener: Active Listening. There were 13 Steps. I won’t list them for you here.

Take a look at the article. There are many ideas including a list of 7 Communication Blockers. How many of those blockers are you guilty of? I thought if I showed the list to my daughter, she would rat on me.