"Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is.
Treat a man as he can and should be
and he will become as he can and should be." ~ Goethe
Communication satisfies most of our needs: physical, identity and social.
Physical
| ◊ People who lack strong relationships have 2 - 3 times the risk of early death, regardless of whether or not they smoke or drink |
◊ Terminal cancer strikes socially isolated people more often than those who have close personal relationships. |
◊ Divorced, separated, and widowed people are 5 - 10 times more likely to need hospitalization for mental problems than their married counterparts. |
◊ Pregnant women under stress and without supportive relationships have three times more complications than pregnant women who suffer from the same amount of stress but have strong social support |
◊ Studies show that social isolation is a major risk factor contributing to coronary disease, comparable to physiological factors such a s diet, smoking, obesity an lack of physical activity socially isolated people are four times more susceptible to the common cold than those who have active social networks |
Identity
Communication helps humans to define who they are. In other words, it is how we communicate with others that helps us formulate the parameters of our identity. When you speak are you honest or always sarcastic? Do you acknowledge others when you speak or diss them by walking out when you don't like the way a conversation is going? Consider the famous feral children who grew without human contact and the following excerpt taken from Understanding Human Communication:
| Some scholars have argued that we are most attracted to people who confirm our identity. This confirmation can come in different forms, depending on the self-image of the communicator. People with relatively high self-esteem seek out others who confirm their value and, [...] avoid those who treat them poorly. Conversely,people who regard themselves as unworthy may look for relatiohships in which others treat them badly. This principle offers one explanation for why some people maintain damaging or unsuccessful relationships. |
Social Needs
Researchers have identified several social needs that are statisfied through communication: affection, inclusion, escape, relaxation and control. These are needs that must be filled, and only communication with others can satisfy that need. Anthropologist Walter Godldschmidt terms the communication drive as the "human career."
Practical Needs
Communication is necessary to acoomplish daily tasks.
Most employers agree that increased communication skills are the single most necessary skill needed for success.
College students need to effectively communicate in order to progress scholastically.
Couples need to develop effective communicative skills.
Models
Nature | Perception | Languages|Listening | Modalities
© 2005 Website designed and created by Adelaide Ruble
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Tuesday, March 29, 2005 11:50 AM
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