We Need to Talk!
Communication: A Two-Way Process
Last week, my husband expressed his frustration with our parent generation, the Boomers, in a post he made at WiggleCulture.com.
Some may argue his presentation could have been better, but then again, it could have also been worse. I think the greater point, though, is that he honestly expressed what was on his mind & heart, with the hope of igniting a discussion, for the ultimate purpose of making the world a better place.
However, instead of being met with someone willing to have that discussion, he was met with what seemed to him to be an attempt to shut down the conversation before it could even begin.
And in my personal experience that has become commonplace in our modern culture.
One of the biggest challenges I see us facing today as a human population is the breakdown of our communications.
Living Life Wide Open
Most of us are no longer operating within a closed community system. We are all living life wide open, each of us going all over the place -- in body, mind & spirit.
We are constantly moving in different directions, spreading our thoughts and feelings far & wide, as we are continually being inundated with information coming at us from here, there & everywhere. None of us are on the same page about much of anything these days.
And most of us are not operating within a close-knit community. And if we are, those communities are like tiny little islands scattered across a massively large ocean with only a narrow bridge and/or tunnel interconnecting them all. (And those connections are heavily guarded on both ends.)
As a result, we are incredibly weak!
And, as much as I realize people don't want to hear it, the only way things are going to improve is if we commit to taking effective action to improve our situation. But that's going to require more than just the will of one man, or one woman, or even one household.
Communication: A Two-Way Process
Communication is supposed to be a two-way process. One person sends a message to another who receives it, and then the recipient sends a message back in light of the message that was received.
Right now, what I see happening all too often is that very few people are willing to listen to those who are standing right in front of them. And as a result, people have stopped talking to those around them.
Instead, they are doing all their talking "online" (via the Internet and/or their phone) and/or on a tablet of some kind that nobody else will likely even see, let alone read & process. Or, they're not talking at all.
And, that's a problem.
In my personal experience, that problem began 15 years ago when my husband and I were shunned by our close-knit communities in the local area for saying things people didn't want to hear. These close-knit communities included all of our friends from church & all of my local family, besides my husband & children.
But now, we as a larger society, have an even greater problem.
Now, after all that's transpired in recent years, I see very few people are willing to listen to anyone anymore, with one exception.
Most people now only listen to those who either make them feel good or scare the crap out of them. And if they listen to those who scare the crap out of them, they tend to only seek out those who will make them feel good about being scared.
Meanwhile, the circumstances we are all facing as a society (& many as individuals) are rapidly degenerating.
And the only hope for improvement is for those who recognize the truth/reality of our situation to work together to improve their respective circumstances in a way that will benefit others beyond themselves.
And the only way that is ever going to happen is if we FIRST start & keep talking & listening to one another again with that aim in mind.
That's going to mean we have to stop going all over the place 24/7, and commit to not only interacting & engaging more with those physically living near us, but also commit to talking to one another, near & far, in meaningful ways.
We need to share our thoughts & feelings, knowledge & understanding, and personal experiences & wisdom with each other to better ourselves & one another.
And, we each need to LISTEN to one another and consider & contemplate what we are hearing from one another.
And then, we need to respond in a way that can somehow bring us closer to our common aim, which I believe ought to be making the world-at-large a better place, not just our own little worlds.
That's how I see it.
Do you agree? If so, what are we going to do about it?
As an individual, this is what I am doing about it.
I'm expressing myself on both paper and a screen, and then I'm distributing this message to all those I personally know & come into contact with and posting it where I hope it can reach others as well.
Now, given that you've read thus far, what are you going to do about it?
Are you going to leave me hanging? Or will you respond by talking to me, and expressing yourself in a meaningful way, in light of what you just read, with the aim of bettering our respective selves and ultimately, the world-at-large?
I hope you'll do the latter -- not just for my sake or for your sake, but for the sake of all those who don't deserve the dismal future being carved out for them.
Until then, take care.
Sincerely,
Carrie (Not Kelly)