Running head: Application Paper
1
Application Paper
Dallan Knudsen
COMM122
2/14/2015
Sister Burk
Running head: Application Paper
2
Not a single person in this life is the same. Some people may look alike, but
everyone acts and communicates differently based on who they are, and what their self is.
What is the self? Self is a word that describes a persons self-concept, and who a person
really is. The self ties into how a person communicates with others. So even though we
all are different, how we communicate with others is based on our own self.
Interpersonal Communication is a very interesting thing. There have been many
studies on how Interpersonal communication works, and how Interpersonal
Communication is different based on people. In our class we have had many discussions
and have read many different chapters on why communication differs between people.
Each person whether they know it or not has a self-concept, and self-esteem. A persons
self-concept is simply how the person sees themselves, thinks, and feels. This could
include their physical appearance, strengths or talents they have, and what things they
like or dislike. All of these are self-concepts people have of themselves, and it ties
directly to how they communicate with others. If someone has the self-concept of being
a happy person, the way they communicate will reflect that. Self-concept had a huge
impact on how a person uses Interpersonal communication.
Each person also has a self-esteem. Self-esteem is a little different the selfconcept because it's how a person thinks and evaluates themselves. In chapter two of the
book, “Looking Out Looking In” it gives us great examples of how self-esteem works.
One of the examples it uses is a person having the self-concept of being quiet. Selfesteem then would be how that person feels about their self-concept of being quiet. So a
person may say relating to being quiet, “I am a coward for not speaking,” or “I enjoy
listening to others more then talking.” Self-esteem has countless ways that people think
Running head: Application Paper
3
about their self-concept. These ways are placed into two cycles, either positive or
negative. Depending on what cycle a persons self-esteem is in will affect how they
communicate with others. A person can come off as optimistic, or on the opposite,
pessimistic. It's important for a person to take some time to understand their own selfconcept and self-esteem that way they can understand better on how they communicate
with others. Luckily though, if we want to improve on how we communicate or even
improving our self-esteem into a more positive cycle we can take steps to make that
possible.
Another main thing that we have discussed in class about communication is
strengths. Every person has strengths, and it's important for people to know them.
Knowing our strengths allows us to think more about who we really are and how we
communicate. I took the “StrengthsQuest” test which shows what your top five strengths
are. I know some people might not agree with the outcome of their test, but I feel like the
five strengths that it calculated fit me well. I love how LDSBC has a learning pattern that
includes pondering. Since we've been in this class I have pondered often about my
strengths and how I use them in how I communicate. My five strengths are strategic,
includer, futuristic, achiever, and learner.
In class we did a paper called the “Strengths Self-efficacy Scale.” This paper had
us rank statements that corresponded with our strengths. Some of the statements stuck
out to me and as I pondered them I felt that I had some revelation on what I needed to do
with my strengths. Two of the statements that stuck out to me were: “Do you identify
ways to build on existing strengths?” Do you use your strengths to help you achieve your
goals in life? When I read these, I thought to myself that I have been given some
Running head: Application Paper
4
strengths in my life for some important reason, and only I can choose to improve and use
them. I have since pondered ways that I can strengthen and use my strengths more in my
life. Strengths are a big part of my personal identity, they make me unique and different.
Knowing that I have a strength of being a learner has made me realize that I need to try
and change my mindset of studying. In high school I would just do assignments to check
them off. But knowing that I am a learner, I have tried to have a mind set of really
gaining knowledge from my assignments instead of just doing them to check them off. I
also know that I have a strength of being an includer. Because of this strength and a
reflection of my self identity, I want to be known for always including people. I have
tried more often to invite others to join in conversations, and ask for their opinions. I also
feel that by me using my strength and including people, it can make a positive difference
on their self-esteem.
Our self-concept, self-esteem, and our strengths have different roles to how we
communicate. I am glad to say that I took the time and effort in this class to realize what
each of those things are for me, and how it relates to my interpersonal communication.
With my understanding of my self identity and my strengths, and having the knowledge
that I can change and improve them has given me hope for the future. I have actually
thought to myself almost on a daily basis about how exciting the future will be. We all
have a great opportunity to improve our self identity, and how we use that to
communicate with others. We need to understand this opportunity and take our journey
forward.