Remember This Anytime You Communicate

The following chapter is from Tough Love: 101 Short Stories, Essays, and Insights to Improve Communication Skills

I forgot where I heard this line…

It went something like this:

Anytime you are reading, you are actually ‘guessing.’

That was the initial meaning for reading back in the days.

‘It doesn’t feel like I am guessing.’

I know. But think about it like this.

Are you 100% sure that a certain word is being perceived by you in the same exact context that the author intended?

An example is the difference between ‘aroma’ and ‘stink.’

If I said, you have a nice aroma to you, how would you feel?

‘I would feel great!’

What if I said, you have a nice stink to you, how would you feel?

‘I’d be angry at you! It seems like you are trying to diss me.’

Well, ‘stink’ used to be used in the same context, back then, as ‘aroma’ is used now.

As times changed, contexts changed as well.

If we were reading an old school book, we would have a negative perception anytime the author was using ‘stink.’ While the author was not intending to incite a negative perception.

You always want to remember this philosophy in terms of communication. Understanding that a lot of communication requires guessing makes you more patient.

Also, it makes you more mindful to be a clear speaker.

In modern times, one of the guys who has to defend his work a LOT is Jordan Peterson.

A philosopher, psychologist & thinker from Canada.

His words have inspired many people to clean their damn rooms & take an active interest in their self-improvement. So why would this guy possibly have to defend his work?

Because the mainstream media is saying that his work is also inspiring several members from the alt right movement.

Was that Jordan’s initial intention?

Doubt it.

But why are some people from alt right enjoying his work?

Too many variables to tell.

The thing with communication and information processing is that we do not always perceive information as what they are.

Rather, who we are.

This paradigm-shifting understanding gives you a MUCH larger picture in terms of communication.

Words are just a part of communication.

The more that you try to improve your people skills, the more you will also be pulled into the world of emotional intelligence, psychology, physics, history, science, and much more.

That’s when you’ll laugh at the low-level communicators who only focus on someone’s grammar.