The Compassion of Sound
why listening helps us connect
Is video killing the radio star?
Maybe. Probably.
But before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, let’s take a moment to consider what the baby is actually capable of - given a little love and attention.
We often think of audio as the soundtrack to video and images. And in a sense, it is.
But let’s try a thought experiment.
Imagine this:
You’re standing in the kitchen.
The sun is falling through the window.
You’re chopping a cucumber.
The knife makes a small clunking sound as it hits the chopping board.
In the next room, the television is on - too loud.
“…Einstein called it ‘spooky action at a distance’—also known as quantum entanglement…”
The voice is calm. Reassuring.
You don’t fully understand what’s being said, but it sounds interesting. Intriguing, even.
So you put down the knife and walk into the living room to see what’s on.
On screen: a man with glasses and a ponytail. He’s wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a pattern of pink flamingos.
“…We cannot fully explain how the particles communicate…”
The words start to fade into the background.
“What’s up with the flamingos?” you mutter to no one in particular.
“…this might be the single most significant breakthrough…”
You squint. “I wonder what shirt he’d wear to meet the president. Cow print? Goldfish?”
This happens all the time.
We start off curious. Engaged. But then something shifts. The visuals take over.
And not only are we distracted - our attention changes shape.
We begin to judge. Sometimes unfairly. And often without even realising it.
It might not be a flattering human trait, but there’s a reason for this behaviour: it’s about survival.
THE SURVIVAL OF THE BIGOTS
Long before we became a species that complains about fashion choices, hairstyles, or lack of facial expressions, early humans relied on good eyesight and quick judgment to stay alive.
If someone looked unfamiliar, or different from the group, it could mean danger.
The unfamiliar might bring disease or conflict.
And history is full of examples.
Just ask the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, who were nearly wiped out by smallpox, measles, influenza, and typhus after Columbus and his crew showed up uninvited.
So, it’s understandable why we evolved this instinct.
And as a species, we got really good at it.
The human brain forms first impressions in as little as 100 milliseconds after seeing a face.
In a split second, we decode: friend or foe? A blink of an eye. Us or them?
That instinct helped keep us alive. It got us here.
So... all good, right?
Well, not quite.
If we’d never overcome that instinct, never learned to trust or interact with “the others,” we’d have died out long ago from inbreeding and genetic stagnation.
We actually need to mingle with others - to mix, to learn, to grow stronger together.
We need to become compassionate.
Without compassion, we’d all be playing the banjo.
But compassion takes time. And attention.
It requires that you listen.
NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION
When we hear a story - just a voice, no image - something happens in the brain.
Without visuals to anchor us, we start building our own inner cinema.
Researchers call this narrative transportation. The experience of being mentally and emotionally drawn into a story world.
We create landscapes.
Fill in faces.
Imagine voices, clothes, moods.
And we don’t just observe the story.
We enter it.
Words create images.
Try this:
“Do not think about an elephant.”
Too late.
And we don’t just create the picture - we project ourselves into the characters.
This act of co-creation creates something powerful: intertwinement.
A subtle sense of identification.
The character becomes partly us, and we become partly them.
And since it’s our projection, we’re sharing blood, so to speak.
Whatever happens to them, happens to us.
And here’s the thing: when we’re inside a story like that, when we’re intertwined with the characters, we’re less likely to judge.
Because to judge them would be to judge ourselves.
So by listening, we become more tolerant. More open.
Sound, in short, makes us more compassionate.
WHAT IS EMPATHY?
Psychologists define empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
It comes in a few flavours:
-
Cognitive empathy – Understanding someone else’s perspective.
-
Emotional empathy – Actually feeling what someone else feels.
-
Compassionate empathy – Wanting to help when someone is in pain.
Audio tends to trigger all three.
That’s remarkable.
That we can create a connection just by listening.
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE
And sometimes that connection creates a little crack in our worldview.
You might find yourself listening to someone you don’t think you agree with.
Maybe their values clash with yours.
Maybe their background feels unfamiliar.
But the longer you listen, the more familiar they become.
Then suddenly, you hit a moment of internal contradiction:
“Wait… she’s from that political party?”
“He’s a former prisoner?”
“She’s trans? But… she sounds like my mum.”
That’s cognitive dissonance.
When your beliefs and your experience collide.
And audio has a sneaky way of getting us there.
It lets us connect with someone before deciding how we’re supposed to feel about them.
It can feel awkward.
Uncomfortable.
But that’s where growth lives.
You connect with the person first.
The label comes later.
And with that comes the possibility of understanding.
THE SOUND OF COMPASSION
We live in a noisy media world.
And a rapidly dividing one.
Lines are drawn.
Opinions are broadcast.
Conversation, more and more, becomes performance.
Visual media rewards speed.
Certainty.
Extremes.
“Yes!”
“No!”
“You’re an idiot!”
It’s binary.
Dualistic.
And where is the compassion in that?
It doesn’t have a leg to stand on.
S0, - IS VIDEO KILLING THE RADIO STAR?
Maybe. Probably. I don’t know.
But this isn’t just about platforms.
It’s not a question of TV vs. radio, YouTube vs. podcast.
The stakes are higher than likes or discoverability.
We are the media. Us. You and I.
As societies, and as humans, we reflect ourselves through what we create and consume.
Our media shows us where we’ve been - and shapes who we’re becoming.
So no, I don’t think we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Maybe just give it a warm towel.
And a hug.
About the author:
Nick Dunkerley // CEO at Hindenburg Systems, Keynote Speaker,
Nick Dunkerley is the founder and Director of Hindenburg Systems. He’s a keynote speaker, lecturer, and lifelong advocate for audio storytelling. With a background as a radio host, sound engineer, and producer at Danish National Radio (DR), he has spent his career exploring how audio can help us better understand the world we live in.
In an era of AI-driven misinformation, “fake news,” and the erosion of truth, he believes long-form radio is one of the most powerful ways to achieve authenticity.
Ironically, for someone who built an audio software company, he doesn’t actually like software. To him, it’s a necessity for professional audio production—but it should never get in the way of creativity. That’s why Hindenburg is designed to make storytelling as effortless as possible, a tool embraced by professionals around the world.
For Nick, it’s all about the story. Always has been. Always will be.
Hindenburg has always been a top-quality editor for spoken word content - fast, precise, and easy to use. It could be the best thing to happen to podcasting.
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