Human Communication
Defining Human Communication
When defining a short phrase it is initially best to look at each word individually. In the case of human communication there are two words in the phrase. One word is easy to define, and the other is more complicated. The word human is referring to the bipedal, sometimes intelligent beings that populate the surface of Earth. The more complicated word is communication, which requires more thought.
Analysis of Dictionary Definition:
Merriam – Webster defines communication as “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior.” There are a few key points within this definition that require attention. The first is that communication requires more than one individual. There has to be someone to receive the information that is sent for a message to be transmitted. One of the most interesting words in the definition is “common.” Common relays the fact that both individuals must have the same system of symbols or signs to fully understand the information that is being sent between them. Without a common system, the message is lost. The symbols and signs that are mentioned come in a few different forms as well. One system that is obvious is the language that is being spoken. Languages are complex systems of many signs that represent sounds and when put together relay meaning. Another example would be a peace sign. A peace sign is a symbol that relays the meaning of a single word.
One distinction that is not made obvious is that communication is both verbal and non-verbal. Verbal encompasses both spoken and written communication, and non-verbal is information that is relayed through body language and body signaling. Some examples of non-verbal communication are a wave, wink, or nod. All of these send a message that a receiver can decode and understand. Verbal communication requires a language. If there is no language the sounds being made or words being written cannot be decoded by the receiver.
Medium:
There are other traits involved in communication as well. One is the medium. The medium is what the message is sent through to get to the receiver. If communication is verbal then there are a few mediums it could travel across. Verbal communication, if the two communicators are close to each other, is sent through the air in between the individuals. If they are far away and on the phone, then the medium is the phone wires. Similarly, if it is written then the medium is the paper. This aspect allows for the message to be transmitted.
Listening:
Listening is one of the most important characteristics of communication. If the message is coming to a non-receptive receiver then the message is lost. The listener also has to understand and comprehend the message. Usually this requires a language, but even without one, rudimentary signals and working together can be enough to get a message across. If the communication is to continue then the listener to would have to respond and the original sender would then become the listener.
Conclusion:
Human communication may seem like a simple thing, but that is only on the surface. When looking deeper there are many aspects that make communication a tricky study, but looking at each word individually helps the process. There are many traits that are taken for granted, such as a common language and the medium. To understand human communication it is necessary to keenly observe the people around and to recognize what makes them effectively interact with each other, and this interaction is what has allowed people to advance so far socially. To accurately define human communication it was necessary to separate each word into individual components that make up every aspect of the word, and after analyzing each word in this way a much clearer definition was formed.