Personal Communications Journal 1 Clara Carranza SSW101 Dustin Lawrence Seneca College Based on what we have learned so far, we know that communication comes in many different forms. Communication usually starts off as an idea, which is encoded with different perceptions that are unique to each individual. These perceptions are based on things such as knowledge, culture, feelings, attitudes, and values. Our unique perceptions influence the way we view the world around us. This briefly explains why each of us communicate differently and how we receive or deliver information in our own unique ways. In the first week of class, Dustin Lawrence introduced himself briefly by beginning to explain that he is indigenous, and therefore some of his unique perspectives based on his ethnic background would be integrated into conversations throughout the course. As a receiver, this is important to know as it can help us as students s to better understand the message and reciprocate valuable feedback. Communication is just that: a unique interaction between people. Something that is very unique to me when I communicate is that I can become very passionate about a topic. For example, many people in my family have oftentimes referred to me as a “cryer”. I was given this nickname due to the simple fact that whenever a topic comes up that I am very passionate about, I begin to speak very rapidly and the conversation can then result in tears, whether it be due to either happiness, sadness or anger. This has been proven to work in my favour, and against me at times. A good outcome of my passionate speaking could signify that the receiver is interpreting my fervor for the subject and understand the importance this topic holds for me. Interpreted in another way, my unique way of communicating could possibly come across as being aggressive or irrational. Something my older brother has always reminded me of, is that “anger is one letter away from danger”. I never quite understood what he meant by this when he said it, I felt as though he was attacking me for the way I spoke and just wanted me to be quiet. However, with age, I found myself repeating that same line to myself over and over whenever I found myself becoming too emotional during a conversation. This goes back to one of the principles of interpersonal communication: interpersonal communication is irreversible. Once something has been expressed through actions, tone, etc.,it cannot be taken back. This means that even though I may be unique in my form of communication, the receiver may not perceive it in the same way that I am trying to express it. As an unfortunate consequence, it can possibly cause some damage to the relationship as communication is constantly subjected to interpretation from the sender and receiver as we learned in the past few weeks. After reflecting on my own forms of communication, I know that my brother's quote is something I have to always keep in mind when working with others, or simply communicating with those around me to ensure I do not cause damage to any relationships. I believe that as a student in the Social Service Worker program, it is crucial that I am diligently conscious about the ways in which I communicate and interpret others in communication as I will need to be able to understand how others perceive information to effectively help them. It is our responsiblity as Social Service Workers to constantly re-evaluate ourselves from different lenses in order to understand ourselves better and then be able to help those who come to us in need.
