Communications

2006-12-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

MEDIA

The infinite domain of the frame. The frame that constricts what we see, and how we see it. Is the frame good? Yes in the sense that it broadens our minds at time and allows us to see more than we would in our own little worlds (wrapped up in our blankets snuggled not caring what the rest of the world is doing). Is it bad? …of course. Does it give people a false sense of happiness at times? Of course…some people live for that sitcom every Thursday or the reality shows where they always watch drama that seems ten times worse then their own.
Is the communication in a frame the same as it is in real life? Does it truly have the same effectiveness over our lives? Is it as meaningful?

I’m not a genius and I know this, I know I have my biases, but even though I am usually grey when it comes to opinions this is a very black or white issue for me. I do not think that the communication in that frame, the radioactivity we get from a television is as meaningful as the communication we engage in during every day life. I’d much rather be interacting with people face to face then sitting in front of a television being spoon feed information and scripted communication. Is it entertaining sure, but I think that it is not nearly as productive as the communication we engage in during our everyday interactions with people that are close to us and even those strangers that we just bump into once.
Life is not in the watching of media or the reading of magazines, our identity our life is wrapped up in the intense moments of our human interactions.
I think that mediated information about deceased loved ones is more meaningful by far then watching a television show or looking at a picture of Britney Spears. The fact that the individual is/was close to someone you know makes that more real to you then if you were to just see a picture of an actor and were told what they were doing. Yes to some extent you will never know these people the same as others will, but we all have our own perspectives. Never will anyone be perceived the same by even their closest friends even while they are alive.
May we all remember that the important and meaningful proactive events of our lives’ are not going to be experienced through mediated experiences they are only made special through the interactions with those around us, with us now, or have been with us at some point. We know best those that know us. And those that know us add meaning to our life beyond belief.
To me there is more meaningfulness in one hug from a friend then 6 years of a favorite sitcom. Does the sitcom communicate things…of course there is no media, no movement, nothing in this world that does not communicate or effect the way we communicate. All I know is that hands down let me be here now, be with these special people, and know that right now in this moment is where I’m supposed to be. Where I’m supposed to be communicating and influencing people is right here right now. Not off in some fairy tale made up land that is airbrushed, scripted, and censored. Life is none of these things it is painfully unexpected, hard to understand, busy, divine, and able all an amazing adventure which we can choose to embrace or not. Lets all step back from our televisions and start being proactive in our everyday lives. Let’s hug each other more, and take the time to first understand people before we expect to be understood.

The irony of all of this: I wouldn’t give up my internet, but when I’m away from it its ok. I just know that to me the internet is a better mediated way to communicate because we have previous knowledge of the people with which we are communicating. It enables us to stay in contact with people quicker…but again these are real people that I have memories with. These people have impacted my life and my identity…in a way no actor or actress or television show could ever affect me.

2006-11-21T16:01:00.000-08:00

Ethics...Whether?

What are ethics?
Is there any one right answer to that question?

To care for anyone else enough to make their problems one's own, is ever the beginning of one's real ethical development. Felix Adler
Ethics implies a concern for others not oneself.
Now what is our responsiblity to others in our lives and more importantly in our communication?

Importance of choice.
How aware are we of our effects of our communciation on others?

Principle of the golden mean.
Somewhere in between the two extremes lies the right choice in ethical dilemmas. Even the ethical answers are in shades of gray. Could it be any more clear?

Truth
Truth
Truth

What is truth?
How do we know when we are doing right?
Is the answer always somewhere in the middle?

I dont agree.
Sometimes the answer is clearly an extreme.
Its pretty easy to know not to kill someone just because you are having a bad day.
Although in a different context, if someone was hurting a family member, ethics gets more blurry and maybe it is best to try and stay in the middle of the spectrum.
Just because its ethical in my mind
doesn't mean it is the same in yours.
So how is it possible to have a fair legal system.

Truth.
Ethics.
Responsiblity.
Life.

Effective choices are ethical when it does not violate the other persons ability to decide. If it is in the best interest of the listener to hear your side even if slightly persuassive, what is wrong with informing another individual. As long as the manner in which you are using your communication still allows for the other person to think critically about it and then decide on their own it is ethical and effective. Just don't abuse the knowledge of communication, and the knowledge of rhetoric. Not everyone has an equal playing field so realize this and adjust as necessary. Be effective by being ethical!!

2006-11-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

Culture...

“A culture is made -- or destroyed -- by its articulate voices.” ~Ayn Rand quotes

Each culture just like every person has their own way of looking at rhetoric. Some cultures value more the rhythmic religious rhetoric, while others keep it unstated.

Out of all the cultures one thing remains true...rhetoric is still present and widely used.

Do we really know what culture is? How can we define the truth of our own culture? Does it really make a difference to be of a different culture?

I can only know my culture through the knowledge of others
I can only know western rhetoric by knowing the other kinds of rhetoric
I can only understand the normal by understanding the weird
I can only live by in some instances not living
I can only speak because I have listened
I can only dream because I have given up on my dreams
I can only laugh because I've cried
I can only experience because I've been closed off at times
I can only be honest because I know of lies
I can only trust because I have had my trust broken
I can only learn because I have nothing to lose

Culture what a complex concept. Really is there such thing as culture or is it all just social norms. Society socializing us and then lets us loose on the world. Do people fundamentally think differently? Or are we just raised to think differently? Is culture just something that we do because of our past and our not knowing what else we should do? I would say that culture effects all aspects of our communication and that there is no one right way of using rhetoric. I think that other culture's rhetoric is more appealing and at times more straight forward and honest.

Culture...

2006-11-13T08:17:00.000-08:00

Gender/Critical Rhetoric

Advertising is evil. It's amazing how we are effected not only by the things they picture but also by the ones they don't picture/talk about. It surprises me every time I look at a different advertising and see similar things. People question if there are differences between genders and minority groups, and I think its almost silly to question that...of course there is a difference. White males are the hegemony of our society and so a lot of advertising and media is directed at them for that reason.

Children's books are the same way girls and minorities are rarely pictured except for in very stereotypical ways.

After the exercise in class I was left feeling horrible. Without being conscious of it I participated in it and it was fun. True there was some sort of dictation that I was suppose to by an authority figure, but really was there any consequence for not participated...except maybe a lower participation grade. It made me think of Germany during WWII. I'm not proposing that they enjoyed it but maybe they didn't realize what they were doing until after the war when the world called them on it. I was left feeling disappointed at myself and even guilty for in some way enjoying the group effort. It just goes to show that even though we always say we'd be the exception...Would we really?

Even though there are gendered differences in rhetoric I think that the messages can still be heard, the society as a whole just chooses to hear men more. We can all speak now, we just might not get our point across. I find it hard to believe that people wouldn't be more critical of non-hegemonic groups in culture. Does the rain send us messages to slow down? Does the sun tell us to speed up? Do the season dictate our moods? Do the things that aren't in our life effect each of us just as much as the things that are present? Are their always arguments we believe that we will never be able to explain to others? Can we really say something meaningful? What is meaningful? Do we have the ability to use rhetoric for good? Can politics disappear?

In the small insignificant corner of my world I understand that education is important, but is it just society telling me thats the only chance I have at trying to be equal with men. At what point does even the hegemonic group look at themselves and say is it worth it. Is it worth suppressing so many people just to insure our way of life/thinking? Can we ever truly be a part of that world? Even though I am white will I ever truly be able to be myself and not conform to the standards imposed by the hegemonic values of our country? Of course not, to be successful is to play the game. The game of conformity. Funny how then we all scratch our heads because we can't figure out the game of love. The game of love is ridiculous and we all know we dislike it but most of us play it. We can't help it we are programed to play it. Disclosure is so gray these days we don't have to really really tell the truth, just mostly the truth. And the few that tell the truth and try not to play the game generally get left behind because they don't feel it necessary to paint unrealistic pictures of themselves and others. It is amazing to me how much life is a rat race, and how so few people understand. I can't believe there are people becoming Doctors in this country that don't believe there is any kind of discrepancy between the genders. I am not a feminist by any means, but I just find it sad that all these smart people don't just open their eyes and look around them.

I'm saddened by the reality of conformity and I think the exercise in class showed how easy it was for all of us to conform. I just keep thinking about WWII and about how their were real consequences if you didn't do as the hegemonic group ordered. Would I be able to stand up and talk against them? Would I be one of the German's today that still couldn't look another in the eye, because I was so ashamed? I don't think we should keep forcing Germany to relive their past. It is their past, and there is nothing special to that country that allowed them to do that...it is just an interesting example of the power of authority and conformity.

2006-11-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

In the era we are discussing science became the primary way of finding truth in life. Philosophically Bacon's theory of the four fallacies; Idols of the Tribe, Idols of Cave, Idols of the Marketplace, and Idols of the Theater. Most of his fallacies dealt with philosophy. How much the human mind can learn and know.

Is it really possible to gain knowledge that will stay in a persons mind after they listen to a compelling argument? I would say yes and maybe thats because when our perspectives in life change or our fundamental paradigms shift we remember these things that altered our philosophy. For instance the example in class about Halloween. The more we listen to the fairly observable scientific (to some extent) reasoning for both sides it could be possible for someone to change their mind finding more truth on the other side of the argument. "The duty and office of rhetoric is to apply reason to imagination for the better moving of the will." (Borchers, 88-89). this generation of rhetoric showed us all that there is a difference between changing someones perspective and making them act upon that change.

I find it very intriguing that while Campbell was boarding the definition of rhetoric and making it quite philosophical, the argumentations like Whatley were making it very precise and scientific. Is it possible to be both scientific and philosophical at the same time. I would say that through Whatley's perspective would be that the science should explain the philosophy. The scientific answer are our data, the reasoning is philosophical to some degree, and then we must prove our claim through the warrant or reasoning we give and then the claim should be believable through our use of data (science).

Odd how philosophy and science can go hand in hand. They seem to take very different approaches to the broader things in life, but at the same time they both are validated through strong data and reasoning that the masses can grasp if not understand. So to some extent every philosopher has to understand the importance of science. I know that there are times my philosophies have no basis in science I just kinda know, but then I guess when I think about it deeper I believe things that I've to some extent tested in my life. For instance, if I am truthful and honest with people most people will pay me the same respects and be truthful and honest with me. I know better then to argue that all people will, because thats not true and my experience and my tests of trust in people have shown me not everyone will do this. Although I do know that most people will do this, because they respect being treated in such a way that they want to treat you as an equal. Most people will give only as much as you give them. It is not about giving and inch and going a mile. Another philosophy of life I've picked up on, but I'm starting to realize that all of these inherent philosophies to some extent have been put on trial in my mind and have been hypothesized, tested, retested, re hypothesized, and it is an on going process where facts of specific instances, human nature, and science all come together to shape a greater understanding of my philosophical viewpoints.

2006-09-25T20:30:00.001-07:00

how do we become ourselves and how and why do we create relationships

“When we're incomplete, we're always searching for somebody to complete us. When, after a few years or a few months of a relationship, we find that we're still unfulfilled, we blame our partners and take up with somebody more promising. This can go on and on--series polygamy--until we admit that while a partner can add sweet dimensions to our lives, we, each of us, are responsible for our own fulfillment. Nobody else can provide it for us, and to believe otherwise is to delude ourselves dangerously and to program for eventual failure every relationship we enter.” Katiesays

Tom Robbins quotes (American Novelist. b.1936)

We are always fundamental looking for strong life long relationships, because it is through these realtionships that we find out who we are. Because we can not define ourselves based on just what we think. What we think and how we communicate is fundamentally tied to how other people communicate. There is no end to this crazy circling that this class is making me do. I'd continue to type but for some reason i just kinda want to let the quote give way to others thinking and conscious processing of it. I'm interesting to hear how others feel about it. I am not claiming that this one quote sums it all up, but it was compelling enough for me to feel that it deserved a place on my blog this week.

“We look at each other wondering what the other is thinking but we never say a thing.”

Ants Marching

Dave Matthews Band quotes

“The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender.”

Emil Ludwig quotes (German Biographer and Writer who is internationally known for his many popular biographies, 1881-1948)

“If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy within your heart.Then in living - I have made my mark.”

Thomas L. Odem, Jr quotes

“When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.”

William Arthur Ward quotes (American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)

Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik, A Life for a Life, 1859

We are all profound identified through our relationships. And our relationshps are what binds us to all that is life. We can not go through life without the small ties of human existance. All I know is that at the end of the day we are in some way changed by our relationships, we are defined by these people, and we trust in their opinion.

So I hope one of the many quotes made sense to you. I didnt know how to approach something so complex so I went to what I know words...of others.

2006-09-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Do we communicate when we sleep? Is there any context in which we don’t communicate? My initial answer to this is that there is no context in which we don’t communicate, because if there is life there is communication. Every person communicates through silence, words, actions, non-verbal’s. No matter what our intentions are we will always communicate, and there is no guarantee what we are communicating will be interpreted the way we hope.
How can anyone communicate effectively, and how can relationships last? If every past relationship and communication experience is all culminated into our current moment of communication how can we ever really know how to communicate with another person. It is always a guessing game. I wonder would it be easier not to communicate, but this is an impossible question to answer because there will never be a point in my life when I wont be sender or processing some sort of communication.
Sunsets, sunny beaches, smiling faces, and lots of pictures all communicate something different. It’s crazy to think that we've been communicating and part of communication since before we were born. My parents like to tell me of a story about how they knew our general personalities before each of us kids were born. My dad would push on my mom’s stomach and I would always push back on the same spot. My sister would push every where but the one spot, and my brother would switch between the two. So even if we didn’t realize it we have communicating since the womb. Now if that doesn't blow your mind you must be fairly enlightened. I know that I worry more about communicating now because I now know that it is way way more complex then my little brain can fully comprehend.

2006-09-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

When we were in small group discussions last thursday I lost my voice and it became clear to me the importance of communication. It is very overlooked and underestimated, but like Bonnie Long always says "You can't not communicate."
I think that everyone should spend some time in their lives studying communication, because it is something very essential to life. We get that job interview more readily if we understand that our nonverbals influence how the interviewer preceives us. So studying communication helps understand the how, why, and what we are communicating.
We learn to think about communication through questioning and theorizing. A theory is defined as, "...a tentative but usually systematic explanation for a problematice situation: an educated guess open to change." (p.365) Each of us goes through the cycle of asking, observing, and theorizing. This is the way we come about our own way of looking at communication, and it also explains the formal theories process.