Saturday, December 28, 2013

Thoughts from an Intellect


Words. Communication. 

     What images do you think of when you read the above words? Letters and paragraphs on a page, moving lips, open mouths, or a computer screen? It probably depends on where and how you use language the most in your day-to-day life. Generally, I think, it would be natural to think of “Words” as on a page and “Communication” as between two or more people in everyday life. Anyway, these two words are so interconnected to one another that they are nearly interchangeable, but not quite so.
Image from barnraisersllc.net
     Words can be very powerful. Even the smallest of comments could crush someone else entirely. Sometimes, we just don’t think about what we say before we say it, and suffer consequences for our neglect, whether they be great or small. Others don’t have much of a “filter” at all and everything they think just comes tumbling right out their mouths, regardless of what may come from their words. Sometimes I wonder how those people get by. 
     I recently found that I was offending people with my honest-to-goodness words, which of course, I never intended. It turns out that some people are deeply offended by the truth and do their best to outrun it. But I was greatly offended because these people did not come to me with their problem with me, but told everybody else, it seems, about it; I only found out through the proverbial grapevine. “Through the grapevine” is not a good way to find things out that involve you.
     Through words, we communicate how we feel, how we think, what we think, et cetera, each of us to a different degree of everything, of course. There is no problem with my communication skills and there wasn’t when I was offending others. Where the problem lies is with their communication skills. Yes, they may have been uncomfortable with bringing their problem with my truthiness to me, but that’s how things get easily solved. When things like this happen – when people talk about their problems with others with everyone but the people they have problems with – it creates a kind of drama. With me, honesty really is the best policy and straightforwardness is appreciated and respected. Drama is highly frowned upon.
Image from dianamarinova.com
     How does a lack of communication affect the already open lines of communication? The lines become damaged or get tossed out completely. I choose not to communicate with people who refuse to communicate back to me. Sure, I may still talk to them, but it’s only on a must-need basis. How am I supposed to know if the words I’m using are okay unless they come and talk to me? I’m not a mind-reader. I am usually a pretty decent judge of character, but I can’t read the minds of those who are incommunicable. 
    You, reader, are probably wondering why I’m even posting something like this on my language blog. It’s partly because I haven’t posted in a while, partly to relieve my stress of this situation and share my thoughts, and basically to communicate how difficult communication can be when others don’t communicate back. Language barriers are tough, but with gestures, a few frustrations, and the dire will to communicate, language barriers can be overcome. Lack of communication altogether makes things impossible.

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