the empty stomach does not have ears....what does this mean?

Answer 1

You can't teach anyone who is starving. People who are concerned about where their next meal is coming from (in other words, those who are desperately poor) can't take their attention away from every day needs long enough to receive an education.

Answer 2

What Barak said, above. It's not just listening, it's learning and agreeing. You may want to check out Abraham Maslow's "Heirarchy of Needs" online at the site here or wikipedia or anywhere. Basically, it says humans must satisfy first their physical needs before they take on others, like social or self-esteem or self-actualization.

www.answers.com/topic/maslow-s-hierarchy-of-needs

Answer 3

When people are hungry they need food, not ideas; they cannot pay attention to any preaching, poetry, or political rant unless it offers food - quickly and in the future. That was effectively the promise of Communism that enlisted masses. By analogy therefor, the saying implies that people do not listen to what doesn't meet their own immediate needs.

Answer 4

It means that it won't listen when you tell it that there's no food to be had; it will continue to growl and announce its need to be filled.

Answer 5

maybe it means you need to fed someone for them to listen to you