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Sleep, eat, work. It was a typical day for Naziya. But this day was one of those days through which she had exhausted herself. So, late evening, she surrendered herself to nature. She got up from her chair, not caring what to wear, and dressed herself up with a pair of clothing that was presentable. Immediately she walked down the stairs and towards the road that led to the garden nearby. She sank into a chair stationed at one corner of the park with her shoulders slumbered and eyes closed. The cycle began. The transition from mind-thoughts to thoughts-mind and then a thought crossed her mind after a few minutes, ‘it is beautiful out here’!. That moment she let it all go, and she surrendered everything with a smile on her face. She focused on the different sounds that she could hear in the garden. Eventually, her shoulders started to rise, coming back to her composure. Breathe in and Breathe out.
Communication happened.
Naziya knew that moment how this worked in the larger scheme of things. We all are part of a system yet different, but communication is always happening.
So, What is communication?
The words “information” and “communication” are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out: communication is getting through.”
-Sydney J.Harris
We live in an age that makes us believe that we are filling the ‘communication gap’. But it is not entirely true most of the time. We are interacting through various means and in a way devoid of personal touch.
Communication is the basis of existence. A woman conceives, and the communication begins with the child in the womb. The baby is out in the world, and the communication continues. Still, it is not only information that is expressed but personal touch that is beyond communication.
A healthy sapling/ plant/ tree has an intricate system within which it interacts. Looking at it, one might perceive the roots, stem, branches, leaves, flowers, etc., as an individual identity that is true in its form and functions. Still, without the internal communication between each part of the whole sapling/ plant/ tree, each piece slowly degrades, leading to its death. Similarly, all the beings, part of a system, are communicating through various means and at different levels. As a social being, it becomes essential to learn to share while having an individual physical identity. It is similar to parts of a sapling/ plant/ tree to function and express in our external environment.
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Communication can happen via various means, but why do we need to communicate?. Let us look at a few necessities of communication. This will define what communication means to you in different aspects of your life.
a. Existential aspect
Even before a child is born, communication is happening between the mother and the child. The existential aspect of living beings is mainly dependent on communication. Be it in any form of communication-vocal, body language, subtle, etc., or any stage through which one is communicating. This skill is essential for one’s growth due to its practical use in every aspect of life.
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b. Bonding
Coming to one’s relationships of any kind, Bonding plays an important role. The basis of this is communication and many other factors. We communicate with another person for varied reasons and then decide where to hold the respective relationship in one’s life.
c. Trust-building
While Bonding, trust-building happens simultaneously. Trust plays a significant role in holding a relationship. Since every individual has a different temperament, this requires good communication skills to build support, hence building trust.
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d. Direction to emotions
Has it ever happened that you fought with someone? Then eventually, words come to play to find common ground for understanding?. In similar scenarios, communication can become a tool to understand and express one’s intentions and choose emotions, directing a situation.
e. Communication with oneself
It is frequently said that the more one understands oneself, can one know someone else. So, how we communicate with ourselves is an approach to better communication skills with the world outside. As social beings with subjective interests and curiosity, communication helps in exploring varied activities by oneself.
So what does communication mean to you?
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