Communication Principles through the Prism of Misconceptions
With help of communication principles, people can build their relationships, being comparatively sure that nothing is going to hinder their relationships. However, as a necessary element of people’s lives, conflicts do occur. In these cases, the communicational strategies are designed to help people.
A good example of how communicational strategies can help tackle a certain problem is a model of social conflict. Supposing, a person called Ann dials a wrong number and asks her friend John. Accidentally, the person who picked up the receiver is John as well, and he also has a friend called Ann. The wrong Ann and the wrong John start a conversation that results in a quarrel. The opponents hang up a receiver. However, soon John finds out that he should not have told Ann all these rude things.
The abovementioned event is a clear example of certain communication principles and misconceptions. First, the given episode shows that a conversation is an irreversible process (Adler 14), which means that John and Ann cannot take their words back, though they might be feeling sorry about that. Speaking about the misconceptions that arose during the communication, this is a perfect example of a conversation that seems accomplished whereas it is not – both John and Ann will have to clarify the misunderstanding with their friends and figure out that the quarrel was a result of a coincidence (Adler 15).
The Chemistry That Does not Mix: The Consequences of Impersonal and Interpersonal Communication
Since communication represents a mixture of impersonal and interpersonal addressing to the opponent, the ratio of the two elements can vary depending on the situation. Though the theory of communication is not an exact science, the approximate percentage of both components in everyday communication still can be calculated. Knowing the basic principles of non-personal and interpersonal communications, one can figure out how much space each takes in one’s personal life.
In this case, it would be a good idea to drive the example of two football fans talking to each other. Supposing, John Doe comes to James Roe to ask him where the entrance to the stadium is. James explains thoroughly which way to go, and then adds something like: “I’ve heard Team A has no chances. Team B will beat them easily.” John agrees, “Yes, Team B is much stronger.” In this case, John and James took part in both the impersonal (the explanation of the route) and the interpersonal (exchange of opinions) conversation (Adler).
The Way Self-Content, Self-Esteem, and Communication Work Together
Although the notions of self-concept, self-esteem, and communication are quite distanced from each other, they cross at several points to create a vision of someone’s personality. Thus, according to Adler (43), the level of self-esteem and self-content can be easily defined according to the way one leads a conversation. For instance, if Mary does not feel certain, she will speak in a quiet voice, and try to avoid all possible conflicting situations. On the contrary, Bill, who is self-assured and possesses enough self-esteem, will not fear conflicts and arguments.
Perceived Self vs. Presented Self: Meeting Expectations
Unfortunately, the image that one is trying to create and represent to the public does not always coincide with the one that shapes in the public’s mind. Due to the different visions of the world and communicational tactics, the society can obtain such a vision of the person that does not correspond to the one desire for the person (Adler 45). Thus, thinking that an expensive watch will make his social status higher, Paul buys the one, yet soon he realizes that people perceive him not only as a worthless idler but also as a boaster.
Reference List
Adler, R. B., & Proctor II, R. R. N. (2011). Looking out/Looking in (13th Ed). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.