# Listening Carries the Ancient Bonding Work of Grooming by Bryant McGill > “Anthropologist Robin Dunbar has proposed that conversation took over some of the bonding work that grooming does among other primates. Attentive listening may be one of the most direct human equivalents of that ancient care. Giving someone undivided attention signals alliance in a way words alone cannot.” > **— Bryant McGill**, *Constructing Genius Through Metacognition and Deep Listening, Part 3 - Livestream (Apr 2016)* ## Sources and Context - **Source:** [[livestreams/Constructing Genius Through Metacognition and Deep Listening, Part 3 - Livestream|Constructing Genius Through Metacognition and Deep Listening, Part 3 - Livestream]] — exact quotation from the developed livestream document. - **Conceptual context:** Grooming exchanges attention and care in a costly, observable form. Human conversation and attentive listening may scale some of this bonding work beyond touch and dyadic interaction. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/Analog Cognition and the Architecture of Continuity|Analog Cognition and the Architecture of Continuity]] - **Article:** [[articles/Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems|Humans and AIs as Entangled Learning Systems]] - **Livestream:** [[livestreams/Constructing Genius Through Metacognition and Deep Listening, Part 3 - Livestream|Constructing Genius Through Metacognition and Deep Listening, Part 3 - Livestream]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Social Grooming|Social Grooming]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “Anthropologist Robin Dunbar has proposed that conversation took over some of the bonding work that grooming does among other primates. Attentive listening may be one of the most direct human equivalents of that ancient care. Giving someone undivided attention signals alliance in a way words alone cannot.” — Bryant McGill, Constructing Genius Through Metacognition and Deep Listening, Part 3 - Livestream (Apr 2016) https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-bryant-mcgill-listening-bonding-work-grooming ```