We spend roughly 60 percent of our communication time listening, but we’re not very good at it. We retain just 25 percent of what we hear.

Source: "5 Ways to Listen Better." TEDGlobal 2011. Jul. 2011. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: The meaning of this quote by sound expert Julian Treasure is rather straightforward: we spend more than half of our communication time listening, but we remember only a quarter of what we hear. So, not only are we wasting a significant amount of time, but we could be missing out on important information. The quote is from Treasure's 2011 TED Talk about how we are "losing our listening" and how we can train ourselves to become better listeners. Watch this full TED Talk: Julian Treasure - 5 Ways to Listen Better

“5 Ways to Listen Better.” TEDGlobal 2011. Jul. 2011. Conference Presentation.