This week I was reminded of the the disconnect that can occur in communication when a person’s interpretation of something said is contrary to the message the speaker had intended to convey. There are many reasons why miscommunication occurs but I find almost all instances are instigated by an emotional response. Many times we hear what we want to hear and almost everything we take in is filtered by the paradigms we have constructed over the years, and our own self talk.In communication, context is everything when considering intent. A solitary word has very precise definitions but once you put that word in a sentence with other words or a paragraph that defines the context, its relevance to the conversation changes. Stripping a word out of an entire conversation and ignoring the context in which the word was used will almost always distort the intent behind the word. Not to mention that the more ambiguous the word that is used, the more wiggle room there is for interpretation.
Anger management training is probably one of the most powerful tools a person can acquire to improve their communication skills. Not only does it teach you how to convey your thoughts in a non confrontational manner, but it also gives you the insights you need to open your mind to alternative interpretations of other people’s words and actions.
“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)
1 comment:
I have always believed that it is not really what is being said but who is saying it that is preconceived. for instance if you were to give a black belt an instruction it would be precived as a gift where as if a blue belt were to give the same instruction to the same black belt it is possable that it could be precived as a an insult to their skill.
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