The Marvel of Communication and What “Matters” to People

Sometimes I pause to ponder the sheer marvel of communication and how we interact with each other!

Think about it!

Seems like a miracle that we’re able to understand each other as well as we do! Sure, we have this marvelous thing we call ”language” which offers us common points of reference for what we want to communicate… but it’s so much more complex than just that.

Misunderstandings in communication are typically less about the words themselves than about our interpretation of them. Confusion abounds! Consider how the meaning of a word like "urgent" might be completely different to two people standing next to each other!

What often gets overlooked is the degree of importance we assign to something. I might agree that something is "urgent" (to use the previous example) but that doesn't mean it matters to me.

Another point of potential breakdown in communication effectiveness.

As a lifelong student of psychology and human behavior I find it all pretty fascinating!

I think one of the things most people are blissfully unaware of is how their cognitive biases influence their understanding when communicating with others. What seems "perfectly obvious" them might not seem at all so to the person(s) they are talking to. That's certainly a situation I have found myself in, in the past!

Reminds me of something a work colleague once remarked — only half-jokingly — that our boss' favorite exercise seemed to be "jumping to conclusions!"

That seems to hold true for a very large number of people.

Communication styles often teach us a lot about the people we are talking to. In particular, we can learn what matters to someone.

I know, for example, that my own communication style often reflects that of peacekeeping and diplomacy. Which has often been the roles I have taken on life, in many different contexts.

I am not interested in conflict and confrontation... I'm always looking for common ground and ways to build "communication bridges" with people, even if I have very little in common with them.

In some ways, I don't "fit" the predominant human paradigm so well, because I don't experience life as something I am trying to "win at." I'm more interested in connecting than in competing.

Regardless, I do find it all a bit of a miracle!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great rest of your week!

How about you? Ever pause to consider what a marvel it is that we can all communicate? Do you consider yourself a good communicator? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.06.13 00:05 PDT
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