The theory of presence in short
Nobody is able to listen passively. Unlike a tape recorder we interpret what somebody else is saying and use our own feelings and thoughts to reflect on what is being said. Most disputes, conflicts, misunderstandings and mistakes occur when we attribute the meaning we derive from what is being said to person who’s said it. The internal image you have of the other person is the most important factor in the way you hear what is being said. In order to be able to gain new wisdom about the knowledge of our human experience you have to be aware of this fact so you can step away from it and start collectively creating from an empty space.
So ask yourself where you are listening from and be aware of the fact that you are going to listen. There are 4 positions that you can listen from and that are visualized by a circle and a dot. The first is downloading. You find yourself in the middle merely consuming the information. It is the characteristic of having a polite conversation. As soon as you find yourself thinking: “there he goes again” you are downloading.
When you are moving from the center to the edge of the circle you are seeing. Typically you see this in a debate. People listen, but there is also an intent: the (aggressive) reaction. And it is this reaction that matters most, as you want to win.
By stepping out of the circle, the circle becomes porous and you begin to see more of the whole. You are able to listen with intent and leave your preconceived notions behind. This is a form of empathetic listening where you actually start to care for the other person. This position is called sensing.
Finally, you are able to listen to the other from various positions around; you are presencing. Various perspectives on the the dialogue give you a new understanding. You start synchronizing and make new connections. If you are the one speaking and everybody around you is in this stage, you may find yourself saying things that you didn;t think you were going to say or that you didn’t intend on saying. In other words, you start to create.
It is that final stage that allows groups of people to collectively create and gain wisdom. It is the kind of wisdom that is locked inside each of us and that has been inside humankind for thousands of years. Although you can achieve new things together it is important to note that it is a personal journey; a process of personal awareness. In other words: every participant in the conversation needs to have the intent to make that journey to get there.
How it can be applied
All the different cultures around the world listen from their own cultural perspective and view the world from that perspective. Even inside cultures different values may apply to different groups of people. In this respect we often refer to different paradigms. In our interconnected world we have to be aware that we form a ‘whole’ and that we are no longer isolated. The individual actions that we take have effect on a global scale.
In this respect Senge made the connection with the unsustainable world we are living in today. The solution for this problem lies inside each of us. But we have to be aware that we have to listen to each other first. If we do that from the stage of ‘presence’ we will be able to collectively come up with the solution. The wisdom that we then gain will allow us to create a new paradigm and a new and sustainable way of living.
So, reflect on your own experience, be aware that you are not passively listening but are listening from a position in the dialogue. Be aware of your movement from downloading, to seeing, to sensing to presencing and act on that. Only then will we be able to create the future of humankind as it happens.
