Communication

I haven't written in a while.  Sorry for the delay in getting back to the blog to express things randomly, or freewrite, or whatever.  That's what I do here, is whatever.  The world is a really crazy place.  Quickly though, I'll get through the New Year's Resolutions in order to get to the good stuff.  Pretty much, I want to brew beer, get promoted, and do something else creative this year.  It takes a lot of work to pull any of that off in the hustle/bustle everyday stuff that comes along with parenthood and homeownership.

Anyhoo, I learned something about communication recently.  85% of communication is nonverbal.  Not the best news for me as a blogger doing all this random writing.  But, it is pretty damn interesting.  Only 15% of meaningful communication is words.  The rest of it is stuff like body language, expressions, feelings, etc.  So, as a writer... this is a different perspective but sort of a good one.

On a personal note, I, along with many of you, have been relegated to limited personal communication over the course of developments in technology over the last however many years. It's much easier to say something with a text or email or even a phone call to get something communicated.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching about this, just making an observation.  Over the course of natural evolution, we lifeforms have had millions of years to get used to changes.  Humanity, however, has had to figure changes out over years, or even months.  With advancement comes the learning curve. 

What I'm really getting at is this: it's really hard to have a deep conversation with digital media.  Just as it's as difficult to have a deep conversation 200 years ago by sending letters.  Humanity hasn't conquered distances we can't walk in every personal way. 

As an old-fashioned sort of soul, I feel like I've forgotten these basic instincts of communication, simply by knowing who I'm around so well, and digitally communicating with those who I don't see personally every day.  Remember, our development as a species forgets certain things because we have so much other stuff to remember if we're going to survive, and if we're lucky, thrive.

Being reminded that 85% of communication has nothing to do with words sure does throw off an old wallflower like me!  Sure, I can be outgoing sometimes, but most of the time I put a lot of stock into words as communication.  Maybe I'm too quiet, or express things by typing a little more than I should. 

How we communicate is how we're built, I suppose.  Let's share ideas, and facial expressions. I'll fart on your head if you give me any shit, though.