When I think of the word communication, I often associate it with the word expression. In communicating, you are trying to express a thought or emotion through words. Although, sometimes there isn’t need for words to be present. Communication can be through imagery and music that has no description, no words spoken. Its importance is to evoke emotion, send sparks of connection through peoples brains. I think of it in documentary film, reading, writing, politics, and everyday life. We use communication to push ourselves forward in life. It is a crucial tool of society. The barriers to communication is when it becomes misconstrued or misunderstood. A message can either be communicated very effectively or communicated poorly. Publicly, it is very important to communicate effectively because of the impact words can have. In being effective, this means being conscious of who you are communicating with and the message you are trying to share. A lack of awareness leads to poor communication. A personal reflection to a moment in time I have struggled to be understood/heard was in my sophomore year English class. I had written a complete theme analysis paper on The Great Gatsby, including my own thoughts and explanations of important motifs throughout the novel. When I received my grade, I was taken back with the letter C written at the top. It was difficult for me to understand what Mr. N (teacher at the time) didn’t see in my paper; or understand the message I was trying to send. This example I use shows how as humans we differ in our beliefs and what we think to be right. Mr. N had a different understanding and ideas surrounding the novel than I did. It created conflict and miscommunication that he gave me a bad grade for my own ideas. How can we mute and penalize someone when they are sharing what they believe?
I have tried to communicate more effectively over time in ways such as my writing. I am a person who sometimes, without realizing, adds a lot of fluff to what they’re saying. This can make it hard for others to understand what you are trying to express. To work on this, I have been trying to keep my wording of things more concise. This means when I am both writing and when I am having discussions with people. I try to articulate myself in a way that is simple for others, even those unfamiliar with me, to understand. Doing this helps me build a connection with the people around me in an easier way. It eliminates thoughts and words that may be taking away from the meaning/point of my communicating.
