Judging and Categorizing

Judging people/ situations and categorizing them is a process we use in order to create schema’s and not overwhelm ourselves with the mass of information we are presented on a daily basis. I believe that as a society we are socialized into behaving in certain ways. Judging and categorizing therefore is inevitable and many times unconscious. I would not say that it is impossible to not judge people, but I do believe it is highly unlikely to avoid it. This behavior is so ingrained in us that I believe that perceiving without making judgments is very difficult. In order to make judgments that are more fair one should take the schema’s that we have stored and use them as a starting point, rather than a strict rule book that predicts traits, behavior or etc. Additionally, perception checks could be a tool which can be used to make better decisions regarding the interpretation of information. Lastly, another way make fair judgments is to listen actively and closely while also paying attention to persons message content. Holding off on making judgments until one fully listens to what the speaker is truly saying might be a way to improve our ability to judge.

Social Constructionist Perspective

In chapter two of our book, the topic of social constructionist perspective was introduced. The social constructionist perspective takes a more symbolic view of communication than other definitions. According to this perspective, we “build worlds” through symbolic codes, cultural traditions, cognitive codes, and a set of cultural rules that guide us through the world and guides our actions. I believe that this concept, though it lacks in the ability to be applied in many ways, brings up some interesting points. It proposes that communication is what shapes our interpretation of the world and our surrounding rather than our own experience. To a certain extent, I believe this is so. The communication we have from our family, our culture, and through symbolic communication like actions of our ancestors and expectations from our culture. This definitely has an impact on people, and it definitely had an impact on me. I believe that I am barely seeing the whole world as it is and not just the small part of the world that was shown to me by my parents. I am 26 and my world was very minimized, full of rules and expectations and the belief that certain things just don’t happen or aren’t possible. This truth that I lived with was constrictive and did not let me live up to my full potential or step out of the box that my culture set up for me. I definitely believe that not only the happiness of those in certain cultures is limited but also the ability to succeed is incomplete.

Pragmatic Perspective

Yes! I very deeply believe that the pragmatic perspective makes sense and that communication as a pattern of interaction could help people communicate better. Now, I must also say that I believe that fixing problems like those of George and Martha and our book can not solely be fixed by using this process. I believe that thought this perspective can not stand alone; it could be the beginning of a healthy communication pattern between people.

Human nature is to jump right in and “fix the problem” without thinking of the root or the basis. One could have the best argument of the world, or the most intense feelings that need to be expressed, but, if the issue is not communicated correctly, there is no purpose of saying it because it would do no good to either. Communication is definitely a game. People need to be strategic and find the best way to get ones point across in the most effective manner. Just like any game, rules are needed and more importantly turns need to be established in order for there not to be chaos. We forget how important correct communication is. We take it for granted and just do it without thinking, but just like in a game, one party needs to go first, then the next one and so forth. Rules of the game are no interrupting, you wait until its your turn, no cheating. The steps are, for example, first what is the issue as you see it, how do you feel about it, and what could be done to correct it.

Subject Position

A topic that I found interesting in chapter two was the issue of subject position. Many times when one reads a text or hears a person give a speech, we forget that not everything that is said or read is real. When in school, we are taught to believe what we read and not question it. As adults, we sometimes forget to critique and/ or analyze the position that others take. The topic of subject position was especially interesting to me because it states that those who are oppressed tend to think that things are the way that authors or speakers say it is. This issue brings to light an awareness to this oppression and helps combat falling into subject position. I believe that it is very important to teach people not to just blindly believe and follow history, books, and others position. It is important for people to be able to critique, find flaws, and formulate their own position rather then just following and trusting others.

The Five Canons of Rhetoric

A concept of communication that I found very interesting from chapter one was the “the five canons of rhetoric” found on page 6. According to this, communication was divided into five parts; Invention, which is the need to find arguments, points and information regarding the topic you want to speak about so your audience could understand you and your point; Style, was a part that I found mostly interesting because the book states that one needed to not only chose the words and arrangement of said words carefully, but also whether one wants to persuade, teach, or etc; Arrangement basically means that the communication brought forth needs to be organized in the best manner in order for the audience to understand and in order for your argument to build; Memory was the importance that a message was kept in the mind of the audience as well as the orator being able to memorize the speech; and lastly, delivery which was the way the speech was given like voice, natural ability, gestures and etc. I found this extremely interesting because many people have difficulty giving speeches as well as shy away from them because of fear. This concept details exactly what is needed in order to be a successful orator, as well as marks the impact on certain points of speech in general.

Orators

I disagree with the Greeks statement that in order to be an orator, one needed to be morally good. There are many examples throughout history of people who were the furthest from being morally good, but were so good in the power of persuasion that they had many followers and convinced them to do many things. A lecturer should, in a perfect world, be a person who is good, honest, and someone who has strong morals and values. Being good, and moral are words and characteristics that are relative to many people. Many orators give a false sense of goodness, honestly and values to their audience. They are successful, though they are not “good” because their arguments are well organized, they have an ability to build rapport with the audience, and they are to an extent charming and confident. I believe that public communication and goodness are related dependent on the orator. A good public speaker would be someone who the audience believes and trusts in what they are saying. Either the orator is a very good liar and therefore can convince the audience of his ideas, or, they see right through him and do not believe in anything said. The connection in the end is that audiences look for truth and will follow you if you are honest and inspiring; whether it be a false orator, or a true, morally good orator.

A speaker I admire

A speaker that I greatly admire is not only a great presenter, but primarily, he is a great writer. Victor Villasenor not only writes, but travels around the country giving speeches and presenting in different venues. I admire him as a speaker because he is very inspiring and a great story teller. I believe that his persuasion style comes primarily from pathos, but logos also. His stories and words are very powerful and pull on a persons heart strings. When one listens to him, an emotional connection is felt, and you feel compassion as well as feel what he or his characters felt. Through this emotional connection, he reminds his audience what is actually important in life and how important it is to be open and treat each other in a loving manner. Though emotions are very important, his speeches also are very simple and logical; i.e. he uses the power of logos also.

An aspect of my personality that makes me persuasive is that I am very logical. I can think of solutions and persuade people in regards to them because I can easily refute any comment, and I have an answer/ solution for a lot of things. Moreover, I am very aware of my surroundings, of needs, and etc so I have the ability to read situations and now what is needed.