Interpersonal Communication And Ethical Choices - Assignment Example

Interpersonal Communication And Ethical Choices Once one says something, he or she cannot take it back. This principle also applies to other communication forms such as facial expressions, posture and gesture. Once you communicate with somebody, you cannot take back what transpired. The Russian proverb confirms this: “Once the word is out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again.” I have encountered several occasions in my life in which I wished I could erase and back up the words that I spoke. An example, when my mother and I argued about my irresponsibility for my belongings in the house. She started to complain that I was not arranging my things in the house and that it was not her work to arrange them for me. In response, I told her that so many things were transpiring in my life and, my mind was stressed. She said she did not care about my problems but the house. I got mad and spoke certain words to her that I probably should not have said, including “I hate you.” rarely do I use the word “hate” as it sounds so offensive. No further explanation could make my mother understand me because I should not have said it from the beginning. Interpersonal Communication Involves Ethical Choices One of the branches of philosophy is ethics, and it focuses on code of conduct and moral principles. Ethical issues revolve around what is right and wrong. Because interpersonal communication affects others and it is irreversible, it has ethical implications. The notion of choice best determines whether communication is ethical or unethical. The assumption is that making individual choices is a right. Interpersonal communication is ethical when it facilitates an individual’s freedom of choice by presenting the individual with accurate information. Communication is unethical when it interferes with the freedom of choice by preventing the individual from securing relevant information to the choices he will make. For instance, I once fired off a classmate who asked for assistance in some question following an argument I had with my teacher prior to that. I realized my communication was unethical. Plagiarism Plagiarism is the best term I have learnt so far in communication. It means passing of someone else’s ideas as your own. I once got into trouble with my teacher after I copy pasted an assignment directly from an internet source. This happened during my first days in college. I had never known what plagiarism is. I explained to my teacher and luckily, she understood my point and ordered me to redo the assignment. From then onwards I have never plagiarized any piece of work. I stick to originality and paraphrase everything borrowed from elsewhere. AFFECTIVE AREA a) Self-concept is the picture that we have of me. This picture forms and changes over time. It develops in several ways but is influenced particularly by my interactions with various people in my life. b) The words that best describe me are shy, joker, artistic, overactive, Masochistic, free, hesitant, indecisive, non-trusting, beautiful and cheerful. c) Yes. These words create an accurate reflection of my self-concept. I am very shy on meeting people for the first time. I also like telling lame jokes. Besides, I do not take things at face value. Most people have hurt me before despite the trust I put in them, and that is why I trust people no more. I find it difficult to frame decisions on my own, always approaching my parents or friends for advice. Overall, I am free with people and I hide nothing. My beauty is something that has once earned me an award. d) I would like to add “pessimistic” and “fearful” to my list because I always believe that I can make it no matter the circumstances. Moreover, I am not confrontational because I always hold back when someone’s temper shoots. e) I was with my ex-boyfriend for six years. I had rumors that he was cheating on me. When I asked him about it, he told me he cannot do something of that nature to me. I never listened to him, but followed the advice of a friend of mine who told me to keep off from my ex-boyfriend. Before I did that, I hacked his Facebook account one day and indeed the proof was there. The man was a real player. His inbox was full of love messages from women. He even had several dates with each of them, went out to parties and slept together. That marked the end of our relationship. Although I still scrutinize my current boyfriend, he is a straightforward man. I just love him so much. Perception Perception is the process of assessing the information in one’s surrounding and involves being aware of the environment in a unique way to the individual, influenced strongly by communication. When I first met my best friend Diana, I thought of her as a strict and ruthless person based on how she had a stern face that morning. I met her in a printing bureau, and she had just messed up with her assignment after her laptop crashed. She was so moody, and when I requested her for a pen to note something down, she gave me quite a stern look and threw the pen to me without saying a word. Three weeks later, however, I was surprised to receive an invitation from Diana to her twentieth birthday party. Our friendship started on that day. Today she is the finest friend I have ever known. BEHAVIORAL AREA Listening a) Active listening is a technique of communication used in conflict resolution, counseling and training that requires the listener to respond to the speaker on what they hear, by way of paraphrasing or re-stating what they have heard, to confirm to what they have heard. Moreover, it makes both parties understand each other (Browning, 2014). b) Listening is the ability to receive and interpret messages accurately in the communication process. It is vital to all effective communication. If I cannot listen effectively, I will easily misunderstand messages. This means that I will break down the communication, which could easily frustrate or irritate the sender of that message. c) Diana is such a good listener. Whenever she is listening to someone, she takes a good posture, facing the speaker and leaning slightly forward to the speaker’s position. Moreover, she engages in no side talk. Her concentration is on every spoken word. She is good at keeping eye contact with the speaker. Before she responds to anything from the speaker, she sits down and reflects all that the speaker said. On many occasions, she uses such non-verbal cues as “uh-nuh” to make the speaker know that she is listening. d) I will try to keep eye contact with speakers. I have always been shy, keeping my face down all the time and staring at the speaker only when he or she is looking away from me. Moreover, I will try to position myself well. Most of the time I sit at strange angles from where I feel exhausted quickly hence the speaker’s message becomes boring. Stress Management a) Being assertive is a vital communication skill. It is effective expression of oneself by standing up for one’s point of view while respecting the beliefs and views of others (Browning, 2014). b) When stress strikes, one cannot always temper it by going out for a run, especially if one is at the heart of a meeting. By learning how to manage stress, one can safely face strong emotions, regulate feelings, and behave appropriately. A person who can maintain an energized, relaxed state of awareness when something upsetting occurs can remain emotionally engaged and available. c) Diana is a superb stress manager. She often recognizes when she is stressed by identifying changes in her body such as tightening stomach muscles. She often calms down before deciding whether to postpone or continue with a talk. More often, she takes deep breaths and relaxes her muscles to calm down the stress. She also looks for humor in the talk to drive the stress away. On other occasions when talks heat up, she opts for a compromise position where both parties are not feeling disadvantaged. At certain times, she breaks the talk to allow a short break before resuming. d) I would like to be a stress manager. Well, finding a compromise position has always been my problem. When things get hot, I tend to prove myself. Calming down has been hard for me in stressful moments. I am always consumed by the stress such that all my attention is scraped. Maybe from now on I will adopt the break method. some cup of coffee during the break could help muck References Browning, J. (2014). Communication Skills: Master Your Conversations, Talk To Anyone With Confidence & Develop Your Own Powerful Charm. New York: Routledge. Read More