Listening in Lincoln: An Overview of Selected Listening Encounters in the Motion Picture, Lincoln

The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them. 

- Nichols, The struggle to be human, 1980.

The following essay is not an account of historical fact.  Rather, it is based upon the motion picture, Lincoln (Spielberg, 2012) as it was directed and released for public consumption.  This is not to say that the events herein did not occur, but to recognize the possibility of artistic license that may have been employed in the film’s production.

This paper concentrates on several interactions between characters in the film and how levels of listening and barriers to listening affect them on personal, political, and social grounds.  The paper concludes by assessing the lead character’s capacity for the group process of listening.

Listening to groups and political constituents

The movie opens with Lincoln listening to two African American troops.  One of them, while clearly grateful for Lincoln’s efforts, notes that he believed that progress would be slow to reach true equality.  That is, equality in pay, in the ability to hold officer rank in the military, and to vote.  When Lincoln attempts to change the topic, the soldier continued, undaunted, to push across his point that unless true equality were the endgame, former slaves would never be viewed as truly equal.

It might be said that the character of Mr. Lincoln was employing both empathetic and selective listening.  While it was clear to the viewer that the President empathized with the former slaves, he did not respond in such a manner.  His attempt to change the topic may have come across as selective listening to the soldiers.  Steven Covey noted that people listening at this level are “hearing only parts of the conversation” (1989, p. 252).

One point in the movie where Lincoln’s listening capacity and skills showed promise was during a session with his war department where the group was discussing the possible bombardment of Wilmington.  After using a “listening first” approach, Lincoln used an anecdote from his days as a lawyer to show the group that sometimes the ends (freeing the slaves) justify the means: declaring that the Constitution gave him war powers and that he could confiscate southern slaves as property (which, he did not believe that they were) in order to fulfill his wishes for freeing them.

“Listening first” means listening before casting judgment or interjecting one’s own agenda into a conversation.  Robert Greenleaf noted that, “Only a true natural servant [referring to servant-leadership] automatically responds to any problem by listening first […] this disposition causes him to be seen as a servant first” (1991, p.8).  An effective leader is often viewed “not as a guru, but as a facilitator able to bring about the combined wisdom of the group” (1978, p.1).

Another scene in the film shows a couple from Jefferson City, Missouri petitioning the President to return a toll booth to their family.  Rather than address the concern at hand, Lincoln used the opportunity to ask what the couple thought about the proposed thirteenth amendment in order to get a view from his constituency; once again changing the topic of conversation in order to satisfy his own preoccupations.

Here, we find Mr. Lincoln distracted and preoccupied with other matters.  Don Frick noted that “[k]nowing when not to listen is nearly as important as learning how to listen” (2011, p.20).  It might have been better for the President to set aside a better time to address members of his constituency when his full attention could have been given to the matter instead of during a time where the he may not have been able to pay undivided attention to the speaker.

Listening to family

President Lincoln’s interactions with his family also present us with opportunities to analyze the character’s interpersonal listening skills.  In the early part of the film, we find Lincoln’s wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, make known to her husband that she believed her carriage accident was an attempted assassination directed at her husband.  Rather than listen to his wife’s concerns, Lincoln attempted to change the subject, asking her about the planning of the grand reception.

It would seem that we have begun to uncover Mr. Lincoln’s modus operandi for when a conversation either becomes uncomfortable or when he does not wish to discuss a subject.  Mr. Lincoln often employs a deflection technique that may have been derived from his time serving as a lawyer.  Another technique that Mr. Lincoln uses on occasion is dismissing the thoughts and concerns of those speaking to him.  As an example, when Mrs. Lincoln attempted to talk to her husband about the passing of one of their sons that occurred a few years earlier, and about the increasing frequency of her headaches, Mr. Lincoln was sympathetic but dismissive.  He noted that it was too difficult to stir-up the memory of their son and what could have been.

Both deflection and dismissiveness are barriers to listening and reduce listening capacity.  Barriers to listening include, “distracted, impatient listening; interrupting […]; and acting defensively, judgmentally, or with strong emotional undertones” (Frick, 2011, p.20); all of which are exemplified in a scene where Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln fail to listen effectively during an argument over whether or not to allow their son Robert to enlist in the military.  On one hand, the President contested that their son would not be in harm’s way as City Point was not near the front lines of the war.  On the other hand, the First Lady contested that she believed that they would lose Robert to the war as had so many other families at the time and that if that were to occur, she would never be able to forgive her husband for allowing it to happen.  Mr. Lincoln attempted to express the difficulty of his position; that Robert would not forgive them if not allowed to enlist.  The emotional disagreement quickly escalated and difficulties from the past, including the death of one of their children resurfaced.  Mrs. Lincoln told her husband that she felt he would threaten her with being placed in an asylum as he did when she could not recuperate emotionally from the loss of their child years ago.  Mr. Lincoln, in turn, accused her of not being emotionally available to Thomas during the period of time after the loss of William.

When another person pushes our hot button with a word, phrase, or topic, our mind goes through certain filters: past experiences, beliefs, or biases connected to what the other is saying.  As a defensive measure, we often tune out the talker, plan rebuttals, or formulate questions to confuse the talker. (Burley-Allen, 1995, p.95)

Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln continued to exchange arguments while barely hearing what each other had to say.  It could be argued that the conversation might have gone more amicably had the couple employed empathy and generative listening in order to truly hear each other out.

Lincoln was not the only character to employ deflecting tactics in the film.  One such listening encounter occurred when Robert returned from university to attend the grand reception.  Mrs. Lincoln noticed that Robert had with him a large amount of luggage, and asked him why he had brought so much luggage for such a short stay.  It was obvious to the viewer that her son did not intend to return to school.  Rather than wait for Robert to reply, she quickly changed the topic of conversation to his weight.  She asked him to stay a few more days in order to “fatten him up”.  To this, Robert began to reply that he did not intend to return to college but Mary would not listen to what he had to say and shifted the topic of conversation once again to his weight. Robert, understanding that his mother was not listening, appeased her and agreed to stay for a few extra nights without expressing his thoughts on returning to school.

Several times throughout the film, Robert tried to speak with his parents about enlisting in the military and each time they either made themselves unavailable or would change the topic of conversation.  It was evident that the Lincolns were adamant about keeping their son out of the war.  Another such case occurred when Robert attempted to speak with his father about enlisting in the military, Lincoln diverted his attention to his attire in an attempt to once again delay the conversation.  However, we later learn that the President did listen to Robert but did not let-on as such.

Conclusion

What was the director’s intent?  Was it intended that Lincoln employed a methodology of conversational deflection in order to buy time to make better decisions?  If this were the case, while not conducive to sustaining and maintaining long-term relationships, the tactic proved to work again and again for the President throughout the movie.  Frick noted that, “acting quickly without understanding the problem or opportunity can result in wasted time and effort, or even disaster” (Frick, 2011, p.26).

Throughout the film, Lincoln’s capacity for listening seemed limited at best.  By removing barriers to listening such as deflection, and distracted listening, the characters in the film might have realized better, more meaningful group and interpersonal listening interactions.

References

Burley-Allen, M. (1995). Listening: The forgotten skill - A self-teaching guide (2nd ed., p. 59). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Covey, S. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people. (p.252). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Frick, D.M. (2011). Forward. K. Keith, Greenleaf and servant-leader listening. (pp. 20, 26). Westfield, Indiana: The Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.

Greenleaf, R. (1996). On becoming a servant-leader (pp. 69-70) (D. Frick & L. Spears, Eds.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Greenleaf, R. (1978). Receptive listening manual. (p.1). Rye, New York: Wainwright House.

Greenleaf, R. (1991). The servant as leader. (p.8). Indianapolis, IN: Robert K. Greenleaf Center.

Mefalopulos, P. (2008). Development communication sourcebook: Broadening the boundaries of communication (p.41). Washington D.C.: World Bank.

Nichols, R.G. (1980, February 17). The struggle to be human. Lecture presented at First Annual Convention of the International Listening Association, Atlanta, Georgia.

Spielberg, S. (Director). (2012). Lincoln [Motion picture]. United States: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.