So why is effective communication important? I would always say it’s not important. The lesser you say, the lesser fights you are going to get into or the lesser people you will hurt or you are less likely to make a fool of yourself by saying something stupid. My motto has always been “Talk only when necessary”.
It took me 17 years to figure out that if I avoid conversations just because they are unnecessary then I am going to fade into the background and if I die no one would notice and that woke me up. I decided to start communicating more. Talking led to more friends, more friends led to more activities and that led to a better life. So what if I make mistakes, I could always laugh it off. If I had a problem I could rely on a friend to help me out which I couldn’t before as I would talk to no one.
This probably seems like a useless rant on my life but this is when I realized why communication was important. To me, effective communication is necessary to have a good and happy life. Having a laugh with my friends after a hard day or talking to my teachers to learn more or classmates for help on things I do not understand, all of these make life simpler which in turn makes me happy.
A psychiatrist’s job is to help people going through difficult times and they do so by talking. Talking is a form of communication. So if going to the psychiatrist helps the person, it proves my point above that communication is necessary to make one happy and that’s why it is important to me. No one can live in a bubble on their own and can honestly say they are happy.
Hi Uttara! I can really relate to you about how speaking less was the lesser evil because that was how I used to be years ago. Every emotion was kept hidden deep within me because I didn't want to get hurt emotionally. Even a simple question like clarifying how to solve a problem sum with my Math teacher,that I was unwilling to do so. It took me a while to realise that if I don't learn to speak up, no one is going to know whether I truly understand anything and I will have to pay the price for my silence (Whoever said silence is golden ought to be shot haha!). Nevertheless, I've soon come out of my shell and learnt to speak up more often and I'm glad you did so too :)
ReplyDeleteWow! I think almost everyone seems to go through this phase sometime in life only to surface and realize the importance of opening up! Yea I agree with both Paula and Uttara that unspoken silence is only going to cause us to explode when everything is just too much to hold in. Being silent is not going to hurt anyone but ourselves. =( I think it’s still important to keep hushed under certain circumstances (for listening), but when the occasion arises, speaking is definitely important to help us clarify ourselves to others and to resolve conflicts. I’m really glad that you two are speaking so much now! Class would be so different without beautiful voices from the both of you!
ReplyDeleteHi Uttara!
ReplyDeleteI always love hearing about the different cultural experiences that you bring up in class! Hearing about India really intrigues me! Anyway, on to your blog post. Similar to Paula and Jac, I used to be pretty quiet as well. And somehow, the older the grew, the more I opened up to the world. I guess that's a phase in growing up? I do fully agree that communication one of the keys to life. Personally, I feel that I would be a nobody without all my friends and loved ones! I guess everyone agrees with me on this point?
Anyway, I look forward to seeing you girls in class! :
Thank you, Uttara, for your reflections in this first post. I like the way you show how in the past you were really quite reticent. I wonder if your apparent fear of speaking was a cultural thing or a due to the way you were socialized. Was it true in general? I can understand a person being very quiet in, for example, a school setting. Even within your family were you that quiet?
ReplyDeleteYou then suggest that a change occurred. Was it really a sudden realization, or did some person inspire you to "come out of your shell"?
Of course, it may be simplistic to say that just because a person talks and socializes, he or she is going to be happy. There are many factors that influence happiness. But being able to communicate effectively would seem to be a fairly solid foundation for strong relationships.
@Paula, Jac and Mabel: I'm glad you guys have come out of the shell too. Everyone needs people to communicate with people no matter how much certain people(including me at one point) say it's not necessary. Also out class is so much fun with everyone communicating :)
ReplyDelete@Brad: It's not really a cultural thing, I generally am very shy even with my family so there was really no one I would talk to when it came to personal issues.
It wasn't exactly a sudden realization because I knew it made me miserable but I was too scared to change but I figured it might be worth giving it a try and it worked(Thankfully). It wasn't an overnight change and took some time.
It's true communicating is not the only factor which decides a person's happiness but not communicating can drive a person crazy.
You raised a good point that communication is vital for interpersonal relationships and for living in a community. However, it is too simplistic to think that talking will guarantee happiness. Yet, I found it too extreme when you mentioned you would fade into the background and no one will notice if you died.
ReplyDeleteThe paragraphs should be spaced properly so it would be easier to read. As you brought up only one reason, another suggestion is to include one or two more points on the importance of effective communication to you. In addition, you could use better words instead of “stupid” and “happy”.
I appreciate the sincerity and candidness of your post that gave me an insight into your personal life. I hope you continue to hone your communication skills and develop strong interpersonal relationships, which will make life much more fulfilling.
Cheers!