Learning to Communicate

Someone once told me that communication is overrated. I didn't agree with that statement then and I don't agree with it now. (I've always wondered if that person was playing the devil's advocate in order to make me really consider the importance of communication.) How we communicate with one another is the basis for all human endeavors. For example, relationships are built on communcation, the way a company communicates outwardly with its customers and inwardly with its employees determines much of its success, and sociology teaches us how important a role communication plays in the development of our society. Not only is communication not overrated, but I don't think you can place enough emphasis on communication.

Logically, communication is not overrated simply because miscommunication can lead to great misunderstanding. If I can be misunderstood because of my miscommunication, then I want to learn how to better communicate. Who wouldn't want to learn that? Maybe a better question to ask is how many of us need to learn to communicate better? Count me in on that one! Sometimes what I'm thinking and what I'm saying isn't always the same. Or better yet, sometimes what I say and what someone else hears are two different things. That's when it can be said, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." (I love that line from the movie Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman.) A breakdown in communication can never be good.

I think somewhere in our innermost thoughts and feelings we humans strongly sense a need to communicate. We want to express ourselves to those who would listen. We want to overcome the loneliness within us by making ourselves known to others. We want to share our insights and discoveries. We want to be heard and have our opinions count for something. We want to share an experience with others. We want to be able to persuade people to our way of thinking. We want to grow closer to our loved ones and be able to communicate to them all our desires and dreams. We want to tell someone "I love you".

In that sense, communication accomplishes what nothing else can. It brings us together. Unfortunately, it can do more than that. It can also tear us apart. That's why we need to not only understand how to communicate with one another but how not to miscommunicate as well. The Bible aptly describes the power the tongue contains with its ability to encourage or discourage. We would do well to grasp that concept fully and understand when our words are uplifting and when they are unwelcome. Learning that one thing would make us all better communicators and all our communications better.

That's what I have learned.