If you are like most people, you’ve indulged in fake listening many times. You go to history class, sit in the 3rd row, and look squarely at the instructor as she speaks. But your mind is far away, floating in the clouds of pleasant daydreams. Occasionally you come back to earth. The instructor writes an important term on the chalkboard, and you dutifully copy it in your notebook. Every once in a while the instructor makes a witty remark, causing others in the class to laugh. You smile politely, pretending that you’ve heard the remark and found it mildly humorous. You have a vague sense of guilt that you aren’t paying close attention. But you tell yourself that any material you miss can be picked up from a friend’s notes. Besides, the instructor’s talking about road construction in ancient Rome, and nothing could be more boring. So back you go into your private little world, only later do you realize you’ve missed important information for a test. Fake listening may be easily exposed, since many speakers are sensitive to facial cues and can tell if you’re merely pretending to listen. Your blank expression, and the faraway look in your eyes are the cues that betrayed you inattentiveness. Even if you are not exposed there’s another reason to avoid fakery. It’s easy for this behavior to become a habit. For some people, the habit is so deeply rooted that they automatically start daydreaming when a speaker begins talking on something complex or uninteresting. As a result, they miss lots of valuable information.
