‘Bicara’ is the Malay word for speak or talk and ‘Communicare’ is the Latin word which means “to make common”, that is to share the meanings of what you are trying to convey through whatever mode of delivery so that the other person that you are communicating with will understand and respond accordingly.
A lot of misunderstanding, misery and even war occur due to ‘miscommunication’, the inability or failure on both or more parties to agree not only on the meaning of the content communicated but also the way or style in which it is communicated.
A very good example is the consternation of the Syariah courts over the decision of husband to divorce his wife via short messaging system (sms). Makes one wonder too how did he court her in the first place? So much for the touted ‘Asian values’ (“Nilai-nilai murni budaya Timur”). What indeed happened to good breeding or upbringing or even common courtesy and basic decency?
The basic uni-linear communication model comprised of the following:
the sender -> the message -> the channel -> the receiver
with ‘noise’ (in the form of technical or environmental disturbances) affecting the quality of content, thus the meaning, communicated. Of course, this basic model has been modified to include social and cultural contexts.
I personally think that social and cultural contexts are over-rated and there is a universal standard of acceptable conduct in communicating with others. In fact, the ‘oblique’ communication style preferred by some individuals or groups within Malay society and culture is often a clever cover for lack of courage and a cowardly conduit for abusive and toxic communication. Since life is short, and meant to be lived to the fullest, we should learn to communicate with the utmost care for the other person’s feelings, comfort and confidence. So, are you ready to join me on this life journey?
I will focus more on interpersonal communication in my effort to improve communication skills for personal growth and development.
Baiti Badarudin
No comments:
Post a Comment