"Listening to what people were saying wasn't even important. But it was important to look as if you were listening to what people were saying. Actually, listening to what people are saying, to me, interferes with looking as if you were listening to what people are saying"

This quote by Errol Morris talks with the suggestion that often it is more important to appear to be paying attention than to actually be paying attention. Simply put, it is more vital to give the impact that you are paying attention than to actually be paying attention. This could be due to the fact that the speaker intends to appear to be courteous and also considerate, or because they are much more interested in the impression they are making than in the web content of the conversation. It can likewise be because they are much more curious about the social dynamics of the conversation than in the real words being said. Whatever the factor, this quote suggests that occasionally it is more crucial to seem paying attention than to actually be paying attention.