Zodiacs Ranked by How Well They Really Listen

1. SCORPIO

Scorpios remember every word you’ve ever said, like a human court stenography machine. Even if they refuse to respond in a fight, they are soaking up all of your feedback and will spend hours mulling it over to process their emotions. In the good times, they pick up on all of your interests and preferences, and the attention to detail shows in the way they romance you. Masters of nostalgia, they can recreate the moments of the past, because they’re so well preserved in their memories.

2. SAGITTARIUS

A Sagittarius wants to be Sherlock Holmes so badly, they pay attention as if every little detail in life were a clue that needs to be saved for later. They can be a pain to watch TV with, rewinding whenever they didn’t hear a line of dialogue, because it could be plot foreshadowing. They’ll do the same with serious conversations. Without interrupting too much, they will make sure that they’re on the same page with you, following your train of thought. They want to understand you and your feelings even better than you do.

3. CANCER

Cancers are reserved by nature, and thus do much more listening than they do talking. But they are the fairest and most loyal listeners of the zodiac sign. They never make you feel judged, and always have your back. People can sometimes take advantage by unloading on them, but they are so good-natured, it rarely gets to them. They know what it’s like to need to be understood and try to offer that kindness to anyone who feels comfortable enough around them to open up.

4. CAPRICORN

Capricorns are the goody-two-shoes kind of listener. The ones who are taking down notes because they think there’s going to be a pop quiz. They listen closely because they want to get an advantage over their competition. To have information that others want or need, but weren’t paying close enough attention to. They’re the ones who actually read the instructions all the way through before beginning step one, so keep them close by in case of an emergency. They’re always prepared.

5. LIBRA

Libras give as much as they take, which makes them the perfect conversationalist of the zodiac. They do their fair share of listening but process that information quickly enough to contribute something to the topic. They demonstrate understanding by making connections to their personal lives or interests. It helps the people they communicate with feel seen and heard on a deeper level. To do this effectively, they have to be paying attention, and not just waiting for their turn to speak.

6. GEMINI

Geminis are the minute-takers in every meeting. They’re doing their best to listen to the conversation, but can’t always keep up. They’re so focused on the task at hand and worried about accurately documenting the things being said, that they can get thrown off track. Instead of being in the moment, they are scribbling or typing away, and definitely unable to contribute or synthesize information beyond taking it down word for word. They’re the type that will allow everything to sink in once they’re able to reread what they’ve written.

7. TAURUS

Tauruses stay up on trends. They listen to the people they’ve deemed worthy of the title ‘tastemaker’. The rest they block out as noise. You can tell when someone has captured a Taurus’ attention, and when they haven’t. They’re the type that will have their camera off in a Zoom meeting they deem ‘unessential’, but will maintain clear eye contact when they are fully engaged in a conversation. There is just certain information they find valuable, and others they see as a waste of time.

8. LEO

Poor Leo has so much gossip to keep up with, they just can’t be expected to keep it all straight, which is why they occasionally get caught with their foot in their mouth repeating information that is incorrect. After all, they’re only one link in a giant game of telephone with all of their friends and acquaintances. The intel they receive can’t always be trusted. They’re the type who will listen only when the content is interesting enough.

9. ARIES

Aries are also selective listeners. They can be so compassionate and understanding towards the people they claim as their own. But when it comes to an argument, Aries will only listen to their own reasoning. It’s how they maintain such strong convictions. Helpful when they need to persevere in the face of rejection, but difficult when it comes to compromising or making inroads with the competition. You can try your best to get through but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

10. AQUARIUS

Aquariuses have earned the right to tune out the rest of the world. They tend to pursue careers where human interaction is required in high volume, and when they come home at night, sometimes they just need to go on autopilot. The therapists and grass-roots politicians of the world just want to watch something light and frivolous in their downtime. They don’t want to have deep conversations when their emotional reserves have been depleted. It’s all about reading the room and having the right timing.

11. VIRGO

Virgos know they are right, and any argument you can make is just wasted breath. Once you’re done talking, if they even wait that long, you’ll get bulldozed by their superior debate skills. They can’t stand people who talk just to hear themselves, so if you want them to listen you’ll have to prove you’ve thought your words through in advance and that they have purpose and intention. Otherwise, they might as well drown you out with a podcast.

12. PISCES

Pisces want to listen, they really do, but they have one foot on the ground and the other in a fantasy world that they find impossible to ever fully emerge from. While you’re asking what they want for dinner, they are pondering the purpose of their existence, and so deep in thought that they can’t be bothered by questions like “Corn or flour tortillas?”. Just respect their process and make an executive decision on the things that don’t matter.