The Self and MessagesNovember 30, 2012 by

Here's a little something I found while deleting old files from a document folder. I believe it was something posted in one of my first few communication classes by an instructor or a classmate, but I'm not sure. I couldn't begin to tell you where they might've found it. It sums up how we should assess our beliefs and reevaluate our methods of judging others quite nicely.

"Communication begins with one self.

Our self, including self-concept, self-image and self-esteem are created through a lifetime of experiences and interactions.

In order to be an effective communicator, we must constantly be reevaluating our self...our beliefs, likes and dislikes, attitudes and values, and asking WHY...

Why do we believe this way? Why do we like/dislike this item, event, person, etc? Why do we hold this attitude? Why do we adhere to this set of values?

It is through asking why and examining our self and our past experiences, that we are better able to understand our own frame of reference (the lens through which we view the world).

Having a thorough understanding of our own “lens” allows us to make accommodations for its skew (its angle of distortion) and more accurately perceive other individuals with which we interact.

It also opens us up to change our perceptions, thus eliminating certain perceptual errors, such as stereotyping and perceptual constancy (the tendency for our first impressions to persist)."

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