Dustin Buller, November Blog Post, Interpersonal and Dialogic Communication

Dustin Buller

29 November, 2016

COMM 160

Professor Ivey

Interpersonal and Dialogic Communication

            The observer and participator in social interactions is constantly creating and making distinctions about others and their own communication. These decisions are both conscious and unconscious; the intersectionality of individuals and groups are occasionally obvious, and large scale expected norms are assumed due to variety of sources. Although what is not often considered in these social interactions with others is the perspective of the others, the difference of the others’ world, and the truth of the actual reality that human senses perceive. This lack of knowledge can lead to small and large assumptions of the other character and intentions, and at a certain point it can transform an individual into an object. The authors John T. Warren and Deanna L. Fassett wrote, “We cannot ever fully know the world of the Other, that other person who belongs to (and creates) other, different cultures and who stands in tensive relation to us” (p.144). Often these kind of incidences happen with a conflict of values or emotionally charged subjects, but they can be overcome.

            The misperceptions of individuals toward others is exceptionally common, but awareness of this common mistake or flaw can be enough to bridge the gap between individuals and groups. By recognizing the complexity of others, it is possible not to reduce an individual’s entire person to a single or short list adjectives based on perceiver’s interpretation of the other. This can be accomplished by realizing that there are multiple viewpoints, dimensions, and truths in the world. The authors John T. Warren and Deanna L. Fassett wrote, “This condition—individuality—is complex and means that our ability to form relationships is always an effort to recognize and frame our own perception of the world so that we may see another as a knowing and knowledgeable self” (p.144). The internal world of the other is created from more sources than can be reasonably evaluated. The only way to proceed ethically and efficiently in communication is to inquire about the others world, their reasoning, and understand that some elements of the perceived world come from locations below the others conscious awareness. By interacting with others in this way it is possible to identify what misperceptions are present, what values they differ on for reasoning purposes, and to develop understanding and tolerance for the differences between individuals.