I find it amazing that you and I, right now, have a relationship. Because you the reader, and I - most likely either your student or your classmate, are communicating. Yet we aren't sitting in the same room, or talking on a phone, and technically this communication isn't even happening at the same time. In spite of all of this, our relationship is formed because we find meaning and understanding together in a set of rules which dictate the written English language. By putting together a bunch of symbols to create words, which also have sounds, I am somehow able to explain what I am thinking in a way that you can then interpret. This ability is called verbal language.
In her Ted Talk (video below) entitled Go ahead make up new words! Erin McKean says, "Every language is just a group of people who agree to understand each other." In this sense, we all can communicate, no matter the language we speak or culture we are from, if only we agree to understand, to find commonality, and to make a connection.
As humans, we have what could almost be called an instinctive desire to communicate with those around us, because of the connection it brings. Yet in this life miscommunication happens constantly. However, our minds' desire is always to try and understand what was meant by every communication.
Take this idea for an example - perhaps you've seen this on Facebook or Pinterest:
"Cdluon’t blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the human mind, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinevtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in a word are in, the olny iprmoatnt thing is that the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm."
Could you read the communication above? If you could, then why does miscommunication happen so frequently if even the most jumbled up words can be read and understood?
Outside of just being able to read or hear, communication has an element of human nature. Our culture, experiences, purpose, actions, and emotions all impact both how and what we say, and what we understand from others.
Recently I was at a grocery store and, being around the holidays, the checkout lines were extremely long. However, this gave me the chance to people watch a little. I noticed my cashier was not very talk-a-tive. She did not say hello to new customers, nor did she even say the totals of their purchases when it came time for them to pay. As I approached her I was curious. The first thing I did was wait for her to look at me, then I smiled. Immediately she smiled back. While she remained unchatty, I realized that our communication had happened, and perhaps her busy day was brightened a little because I was not just another customer who ignored her.
This interaction made me realize that we communicate with people all around us, but do we realize what we are "saying." My initial reaction to the cashier was that she was unfriendly or sad. I doubt that she had any indication she had communicated this to me. This has prompted me to look back on my day and contemplate what have I communicated that I may not have realized? Do my behaviors and spoken words reflect what I would want others to think of me?
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