How Do You Hear and Get Heard With 100 Million People Talking?

It’s been shown that if you get a number of people working together on the same problem, they’re more likely to find a solution than if each one was working alone. So here is the problem in the form of a question: How do you hear and get heard with 100 million people talking? It’s both a practical question and a philosophical one. With the social web, everyone’s now a potential publisher and a video producer. The 200 million or more blogs and web sites out here in cyberspace create a world of possibilities; but how much genuine communication is there actually going on?

Let’s start with the belief that today is a new opportunity to make at least a little bit better, whatever we didn’t get right up to yesterday. So in the next few minutes, let’s see if we can roll that rock just a little further down the road towards mutual understanding.

Let’s start with a blank page and a blank mind, hearing only the sounds of the neurons idling in each of our brains. Let’s allow ourselves the freedom to think, not just with words, but with images, sounds, smells, tastes, sensation or whatever. Let go of even the idea of time. Also, don’t be afraid to let go of your pet ideas and obsessions. Don’t worry, they’re like your fingerprint or DNA, and they’ll find their way into anything you imagine. Now think again of the question: How do you hear and be heard with 100 million people talking?

Here’s what came to my mind:

1. Be clear about your purpose: Why communicate? For me, it’s to clarify my own thoughts and perceptions about myself, others and the world; to market my vision of reality to others; to hear some new ideas or possibilities that I hadn’t considered; for the fun and pleasure of it, like playing music with other people; it’s rewarding in and of itself.

2. Remember that communication is like conversation. Who’re you really interested in talking with? People are more likely to be interested in hearing you if you’re truly interested in them.

3. Use what you have: Whatever gets to the core of your own creative and emotive energy is what is most likely to motivate you to produce something that others will find valuable. Be passionate but open minded.

4. Be generous even if you are in need: Approaching people with a spirit of authentic generosity rather than neediness or greed is most likely to elicit a positive response.

5. Be humble: Acknowledge that there is so much more that you need to learn about what makes genuine communication happen:

So that’s what came to my mind And what did you come up with? I’m really interested in hearing. Reach me at www.sopphia.com