Thursday, December 16, 2021

The Voice of a Tree

Remember the puzzling question, 'Does a tree falling in a forest make a sound if there is no-one to hear it?'. Although science would say 'yes' because vibrations in the air are produced, yet you feel that this answer is not satisfactory. If a person, standing alone in a room, speaks aloud, their voice would be perceived by no-one (except themselves). Picture now yourself speaking to an interlocutor who is totally distracted and doesn't pay attention to what you are saying. Is your voice heard? Not really. It can't be heard until the person you are talking to actually listens. Such a situation is highly revealing, and two may be its causes. One: your interlocutor is absorbed in watching what is happening all around. Two: they are so absorbed in themselves, or in what they are planning to say next, that they can't pay attention to what "you" are saying. A quite common occurrence. Annoying? Possibly. 




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