In the Rush to Be Productive, Who Still Hears the Whisper?

On presence, listening, and why we shouldn't try to make use of every moment

When was the last time you really listened to the noise? To the sounds of passersby, to the chatter in public spaces, quietly, attentively, and without distraction?

My relationship with long listening during commutes began with podcasts and audiobooks. It started with the train rides I took regularly, and soon it became part of my daily routine, even while walking or cycling. And honestly, I loved the company (still do). I wouldn’t have explored many books and deep conversations if not for those audio companions.

One day, I left home in a rush and forgot my headphones. I didn’t have time to go back for them, and I felt a little regret, as if I was about to lose time that would now pass “unproductively.”

On my way to the train station, two teenage girls pulled up beside me, talking loudly and laughing. Their laughter hit me like a soft jolt: wow, how long has it been since I heard such pure, spontaneous joy? How long since I truly listened to the whispers and noise of people in public places?

A couple of months ago, I joined my first group retreat. One of the conditions was to keep phones away, with the option to check them only at night in non-social spaces. I chose not to check mine at all, and for three nights I disconnected completely.

The next day, we walked among the trees. One of the mindfulness exercises was simply to listen deeply to nature. And again, I remembered: even in nature, I had been carrying my podcasts and audiobooks. In short, I realized I’d been living in virtual worlds at the expense of the present one. How many simple, beautiful moments had I missed because I was too busy listening instead of just being?

I also noticed that casual conversations rarely happen to me anymore, in supermarkets or on sidewalks, because my headphones signal something like a warning sign: “Do not disturb.”

Maybe squeezing the most out of every moment isn’t always a win. Maybe we need to make space sometimes for life’s voice to pass through us, unfiltered.

Being fully present isn’t a luxury. It’s a quiet resistance in a world that values you by what you produce, not what you feel. To let yourself listen, observe, just be, with no task and no goal, is a radical act. Maybe even the first step back to yourself.

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A film worth watching

Departures

One of the most moving films I've seen. Departures, a Japanese drama, explores death through the quiet dignity of an undertaker's work. It speaks about loss, reconciliation, and the tenderness of daily life. It's a calm, emotional film that redefines parting and connection at once.

Directed by Yōjirō Takita, it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009.

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