Who’s listening? You may think that this is a strange question, yet it is one that I have pondered and expounded on in my notes. It is kind of like the quote, “if a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?” I am paraphrasing from memory so forgive any slight misquotes. I therefore pose this question again. Do I have a voice if no one is listening?
context for reference
One of the first thoughts that came to mind is when you feel that your opinion doesn’t matter. Whether it is in one-on-one relationships, a career or in life as a whole. I’ve always felt that one of the keys to a successful marriage is that it remain a democracy. Decisions are made jointly. That isn’t to say that compromise isn’t necessary but ultimately both sides should be heard.
When (and if) this doesn’t happen you then have autocracy. And that my friends is one of the keys to failure for a marriage.
The same can be said for the job front and our day to day. Autocracy is defined by Oxford languages ( https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ ) as this: 
Cited are a few examples of famous autocrats in history. Bonaparte, Hitler, Julius Caesar…and we all know how that turned out.
Do we always need an audience to be heard?
This is another way to ask the same question but from a different perspective. I must admit that this one hits a little more close to home. This month marks the first year anniversary of this blog. And though I hesitate to admit this, I am feeling a little discouraged. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate each and every one of you out there that takes the time to read my posts each week. Hopefully they are getting the job done and bringing a little entertainment, smiles and those occasional moments to ponder and learn.
I do wonder though, who’s listening? My audience according to the analytics is small. That is on me. I chose to approach this anonymously and solely, not wanting to place pressure on friendships and relationships. I actually have acquired some readers from other countries. Whether this is from curiosity, a referral from a friend or a well placed business card, I don’t know. I would love to hear from you anytime you would like to reach out. Just place a note in the comments. (And of course, recommendations and endorsements on the social pages are always welcome).
you have a voice now, do you have to shout to be heard?
Historically there have been so many instances that people’s voices have been silenced and/or suppressed. It has taken a long time to establish the rights of these voices to be heard. I feel that it is important that we all have a voice in how we are treated, how we are seen. I also feel that there is a right and wrong way to go about it.
What I really struggle with is shouting. I don’t understand the purpose. I mostly equate shouting with anger. If you raise your voice in a household generally someone isn’t happy. I suppose in some cases it can be used to get attention. I can go along with that, if whomever you are trying to reach is standing a distance aways. This then, leads me to my next question…
if you have a voice now, why are you still shouting?
Who’s listening? If you are being yelled at or you are witness to people (or a person) shouting, do you tune them out or does that grab your attention? A wise person once told me that they could always gauge the severity of a problem by the way that the person conducted themselves in the telling of it. Their theory was, “the excitability of the client is inversely proportional to the severity of the issue at hand.” I have found that to hold true in most instances.
exceptions to the rules
Teddy Roosevelt quoted, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. I like that one. I believe he was saying that we don’t have to shout to be heard. You can make your point with your words. Of course, the big stick allows a solid follow up if words fail.
Rennie enjoys Fox News. I have a lot of respect for their news reporting as well as the panels and commentators. The one caveat for me is when they get together it turns into a shouting match. Crazily, they’re not mad with one another, just passionate. It makes me wonder if they have bad acoustics and just can’t hear well. Yet, 2 of the commentators that I feel have the most to say and are the easiest to listen to are Trey Goudy and Harold Ford,Jr. Both intelligent, articulate and from opposite sides of the walk.
all’s fair
In all fairness I wanted to look at both sides. Before we went to Paris last year https://sassaleeyours.com/getting-lost-in-paris/ , we learned that they had organized (and scheduled) protests. I found that to be amazing. It took the rules of a peaceful demonstration to a whole new level. We witnessed one such protest. It was just as advertised. Peaceful…and quiet.
Unlike the two idiots that made their way into the Louvre and tossed their thermoses of soup onto the Mona Lisa. Shouting at its worst! An attempt at destruction to make a plea for the hungry. They might have offered the soup to those suffering or take the money it took getting into the museum and put it towards a meal or two.
getting the words right
Throughout this post I have talked about shouting. But am I mixing up my words? In reality, I probably have more of an aversion to ‘yelling’. I do have issues with loud noises but there is a line between shouting and yelling. The latter more in line with outbursts of anger.
Southern churches have a tendency to shout a lot. Have you ever heard an evangelist on TV or in a pulpit reach out quietly? Those autocratic leaders I spoke of earlier? Bring up footage of Hitler or study the history of the others. They all yelled. I’m not comparing the two. Obviously there were different agendas.
a voice of quiet
Interestingly, when Martin Luther King Jr gave his, I had a dream speech, he spoke firmly, articulately and with passion. And he didn’t shout. Despite the fact that it was delivered outdoors to thousands. https://youtu.be/vP4iY1TtS3s Who’s listening? Well many did then and still. And it didn’t require any yelling to be heard.
finding your voice
We all should have a voice and something to be passionate about. We all deserve the right to stand up for what we believe. It is up to each of us to find our voice and that passion. The important lesson is to be insightful and not inciteful. I don’t react well to shouting and absolutely will shut you out if you are yelling.
Speak softly and let your words do the shouting, and you may just find out who’s listening.
I am..
Sassaleeyours…