Interpersonal Communication: Sending and Receiving Information
Interpersonal communication refers to the sending and receiving of information between two or more people. As long as you are communicating with another person therefore, you are involved in interpersonal communication. It is basically the process by which people exchange information, feelings and meaning through both verbal and non-verbal messages. Interpersonal communication is not about what is just being discussed between two people but how this communication takes place and if it is through the use of non-verbal messages then what kind of non-verbal cues are being used. It could be through facial expressions, body language and gestures, cues of posture and so on. Basically when two or more people in the same place are aware of each other, then communication ought to take place. It is therefore inevitable for us not to communicate. It is through interpersonal communication that individuals are able to expand on the knowledge with one another as well as create shared meanings as through interpersonal communication individuals are able to share information of what they know or understand hence encouraging the creation of shared meanings. What I might understand about something might not necessarily mean that the other person understands it the same way, it is through interpersonal communication therefore that we share our divergent meanings and come up with shared meanings. This paper therefore analyzes how interpersonal communication as a selective, systematic process, allows people to reflect and build personal knowledge of one another and create shared meanings.
Unavoidable Nature of Communication
It is obvious that we cannot not communicate, communication is fundamentally a natural occurrence between all beings. We may at times try not to communicate though not communicating is not an option. In fact, the more me try not to communicate, the more we actually do communicate. That means by not communicating we are actually communicating something. Even ignoring someone is communicating with him/her because when you ignore somebody it communicates to him/her that maybe there is something you are unimpressed about or probably you did not notice the person. The person who is ignored therefore would be thinking what should have led to him/her being ignored, thus the two persons are actually communicating but unintentionally. By not communicating we are also communicating something to the other person about us, it could be we are shy, perhaps we are angry about the person, or perhaps we are too busy (Socha & Pitts, 2012). In short no matter how we might try not to communicate, interpersonal communication is unavoidable.
The Systematic Process of Interpersonal Communication
However, much as communication can be unintentional and involving both verbal and non-verbal communication, it still follows some principles and elements that makes it a systematic process. Some of the elements that are essential for interpersonal communication to take place include the presence of communicators. This is to say that interpersonal communication cannot take place between an individual alone, there should be at least two people for the process to be complete. Unlike the concept that many people associate it communication generally, that communication is a one-way process, interpersonal communication on the contrary is a two-way process. This means that unlike the generalized idea that communication involves a sender who sends the information and a receiver who just listens and receives the information, interpersonal communication works as a two-way process meaning, both the receiver and the sender are sending and receiving communication simultaneously. In short, at one point the receiver can also be a sender since other than listening, the receiver will at one point be required to respond to the sender's message. Interpersonal communication is therefore an interactive process where while one person is talking, the other person is listening but while listening there are also communicating such as by use of non-verbal cues such as nodding in acceptance or denial of what they are being told. The skills that are required in this case therefore for interpersonal communication to take place effectively are turn-taking skills which means that when you are the sender you are expected to also take turns to allow the receiver to respond to the message you have communicate otherwise there will be no communication at all if there will be no response from the receiver of the message. The message is one other key element in interpersonal communication as without a message that the participants during interpersonal communication would lack the basis of what to talk about. Interpersonal communication is also a process that involves channels through which information is communicated, a channel refers to the means by which the message is transferred from one person to the other. It could be perhaps through speech and vision in face-to-face communication or it could be the use of non-verbal cues such as facial expression and gestures in non-verbal communication. Feedback is also one other key element in the process of interpersonal communication as without feedback we would not be able to know what the other person thinks about something which would negate the purpose of interpersonal communication which to develop shared meanings (Hargie, 2017).
Personal Knowledge and Shared Meanings
Interpersonal communication develops personal knowledge of both the receiver and the sender. Through shared meanings, individuals are able to build on what they already know about what is being discussed. What I know about a certain topic for example may not be necessarily what the other person knows. Interpersonal communication therefore creates a platform where we can share our understanding with one another hence encouraging share meanings and mutual understanding. Interpersonal communication allows one to express his/her thoughts about something and since it is a systematic process, the person is expected to listen to what the other person ideas and thoughts about what is being discussed then through mutual agreement, the two participants in the process would merge their ideas into one concept. It is evident therefore from this notion that there should be mutual understanding between the participants in the process of interpersonal communication so as to enhance the creation of shared meanings. This means that both sides should be allowed participation in the process of communication so that both the views, ideas and opinions of each of the side is incorporated in the shared meanings that are eventually created in the communication process (Berger, 2014). Other than creating shared meanings, interpersonal communication also enables individuals to establish interpersonal relationships between one another, give and receive emotional support from one another, influence the attitudes and behavior of others and make sense of the world as well as share their experiences in it. It is therefore undeniable that interpersonal communication builds an individual's personal knowledge and understanding as well creates shared meanings.
The Importance of Interpersonal Communication
In a nutshell, interpersonal communication is a process where individuals get to share their thoughts, feelings and opinions with one another and in the process able to build on their personal knowledge about certain concepts in life. It is also important to note that the concepts, thoughts and ideas shared in the process of interpersonal communication leads to the creation of shared meanings. Lastly, it is undeniable the role that interpersonal communication therefore plays in our day to day living hence we should understand, appreciate and embrace interpersonal communication so as to enhance mutual understanding and co-existence with one another.
References
Berger, C. R. (2014). Interpersonal communication. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.
Hargie, O. (2017). Skilled interpersonal communication: Research, theory and practice. London: Routledge.
Socha, T. J., " Pitts, M. J. (2012). The positive side of interpersonal communication. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
