It's only through listening that you learn, and I never want to

When Drew Barrymore spoke the words, “It’s only through listening that you learn, and I never want to stop learning,” she touched upon one of the oldest and most sacred truths of human growth. These words, though simple, carry the depth of a lifelong seeker—someone who has tasted both the sweetness and sorrow of experience and discovered that wisdom does not come from speaking, but from listening. To listen is to open oneself—to the world, to others, and to the quiet voice within. It is the first and most humble act of learning, the root from which all understanding grows.

The origin of this insight arises from Barrymore’s own journey—a life lived beneath both the light of fame and the shadow of hardship. As a child star, she was thrust into the noise of the world too soon, and for years she had to rediscover her voice by first rediscovering her silence. Through listening—to mentors, to experience, to the lessons hidden in pain—she rebuilt herself into a woman of grace and resilience. In her words, we hear not the pride of one who has achieved, but the humility of one who knows that learning never ends. Her statement is not only about education, but about awakening—the endless unfolding of the soul through the art of attentiveness.

To listen is no small task. The world clamors with voices—each shouting to be heard, each eager to proclaim its truth. Yet the wise know that wisdom is not born in noise, but in stillness. Just as the sea reveals its depths only when the wind is calm, so too does truth reveal itself only to the mind that listens. The ancients spoke of this often. In the temple of Apollo at Delphi were written the words “Know thyself,” and yet how can one know oneself without listening—to one’s heart, to one’s mistakes, to the silent movements of one’s destiny? Barrymore’s words echo this eternal counsel: to listen is to learn, and to learn is to live fully awake.

History too bears witness to the power of listening. Consider Abraham Lincoln, who, though born of little schooling, became one of the greatest orators and leaders in history. His strength lay not in his ability to command, but in his ability to hear. He listened—to his advisers, to his critics, even to his enemies—and through that listening, he shaped his vision for a divided nation. When others spoke in anger, he listened in patience; when others acted in haste, he pondered in silence. It was through listening that he learned, and through learning that he led. So it has always been: those who master the art of listening master the art of wisdom.

There is also a deeper meaning hidden in Barrymore’s vow: “I never want to stop learning.” To say this is to declare an allegiance to curiosity, to remain forever young in spirit. The one who listens never grows old, for they are forever nourished by new perspectives, new voices, new wonders. Life is an ever-changing teacher, and those who believe they already know cease to grow. But those who listen, even when they disagree, even when it challenges their comfort, expand beyond the narrow boundaries of self. Learning, then, is not the accumulation of facts—it is the transformation of the heart.

To listen deeply requires humility—the kind of humility that recognizes that every person, every encounter, every moment carries a lesson. The wise farmer learns from the soil, the sailor from the sea, the poet from silence. So too must we learn from each other, even from those we do not understand. The act of listening is an act of respect—it is the acknowledgment that truth may dwell outside ourselves. Barrymore’s words remind us that true learning begins when the tongue grows still and the ear grows open.

Let this truth, then, be passed on as a teaching for all generations: listen, and you will learn. Listen not only to words, but to tone, to silence, to the lessons hidden in failure and joy alike. When you walk among others, do not seek first to be heard, but to understand. When the world grows loud, retreat into quiet and let your heart hear what your mind has ignored. For only through such listening will you find the wisdom that endures—the wisdom that teaches patience, empathy, and the beauty of being alive.

And so, as Drew Barrymore reminds us, may we vow never to stop learning. Let us walk through life as students, not masters—curious, open, and humble before the mystery of the world. For the one who listens learns endlessly, and the one who learns endlessly, lives eternally awake.