I've always considered communication to be one of the gems in human abilities. In truth, it may often appear to be a very rough and unpolished stone, while for some other individuals and instances it is a precisely-cut, elegantly faceted brilliance. Although the majority of us often strive for the latter, the former happens to us with frequency.
Let's face it, good communication is a prize. When articulated well, even if agreement is not achieved, some sense of understanding may still be accomplished by the effort of communication. Great movements have been fired and inspired by great speeches. Hostile and dangerous situations have been defused by skilled communication geared to bring the participants back from the brink. Effective advertising, therapy, diplomacy, and a host of other endeavors we are exposed to are based on good communication skills. We all engage in communication throughout our daily lives, with our friends, family, co-workers, the cashier at the grocery store, ad infinitum.
Although communication is such a vital mainstay in our lives, the majority of us don't engage in much thought about it. We just do it. Well, I'm of the school that believes that may not be the best way to go about it. For me, I realize that many of the conflicts that I have been engaged in throughout my life arose from less than sterling communication at the outset. Being human, sure, I'm prone to speak first and think later; therefore, there are some things I try to remember.
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