November Blog Post

 Ben Doran
November Blog Post
Frames

Earlier this month, we had an in class discussion about meta-communication. Basically this is when two or more individuals are talking about communication and how it works. Since I am a Communications major, this isn't my first time hearing this word. It has been brought up in a couple classes of mine, and thought I had it completely down. However, our textbook added on a whole new concept of 'frames'. It states, "All relational communication occurs in a context. All contexts are marked by time, our identities, our perceptions, and the power relations that affect how we build and sustain our relationships"(147).  This made me step back and think for a second, and quite honestly it made me feel very small.
It is much easier to get a message across to somebody I know. If I want something from one of my best friends, I would be completely up front and ask. But if it was the same scenario with a stranger, I would feel much more awkward and embarrassed. My friend and I have spent time building up a relationship, so we simply know what communication works best.
Our lives are such a short speck on the long scale of time. Somebody from this age might have an extremely different time communication with someone from centuries ago, even if they are speaking the same language. We as a species have evolved our language as much as we have evolved our technology. I think that is what this quote from the book is trying to capture when mentioning time and perceptions.
I chose this quote because it was so thought provoking for me. I have always had a sense of curiosity regarding some immense topics like the concept of life, the creation of the universe, relativity, and time. I have dreamed about these things, and I have also laid awake at night thinking about them endlessly. This just helped me wrap my head around it a little more.