Consenting to being spoken to. Thoughts on Listening

Abstract

Based on the argument that human listening is listening escorted by language, the text delves into communicative implications involving hearing (or rather, listening to) expressive signs at the time conversations are brought up. To that end, the text is divided into three parts of unequal extension. Each of the parts exposes a different reflection, to wit: first, cognitive relevance or listening to what the other does with his or her voice; second, meaning of the figurative expression "to prick one's ear" and its relevance for keeping misunderstandings at bay, and third, the pragmatic commitment of listening as it involves the so-called "acts of speech."