Einstein Quote

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage -- to move in the opposite direction."

Communication

As of late, I have began to wonder about my own capacity to communicate...

Honestly, there was once a time when I considered myself a great communicator. Even now, I teach a debate class at my old high school, and not only do I love it, but I actually seem to be helping the class... Which, debate, of all things, is like a mixture of public speaking, persuasion, fast-pace communication, and the sport/ event itself entirely centers around the concept of taking several complex ideas and arguments, and simplifying them for an objective judge.

Either, my capacity to debate is irrelevantly to my capacity to communicate in the "real world", or in teaching debate, I have started to self-criticize my own personal ability to communicate. (the latter of which sounds more plausible to me, lol)

I have been thinking about this for some time actually. Several months ago, I was under the impression that it was the fault of the English language. No matter how much I learned, it seemed as though it was impossible to, using English, communicate some of the thoughts that were in my head. Then, I went on a kick where I blamed the people at Babel, lol. Now, I am thinking that there must be some way for me to be a better communicator.

Here is the deal, either everyone I talk to is on an entirely different frequency than I can even begin to imagine, or I am a sub-par communicator. All the time, I will be talking to someone, and we will be having a discussion or an argument, and They will talk for 5 minutes trying to explain their point, when I really "got it", in the first 5 seconds... okay, the first minute or two... you get my point. All the time, people go on and on trying to explain something to me, but I tell them "I GET IT" (which makes me think people are suprised that someone could understand them so quickly... which would imply that they face the same communication barrier in their own life), but then, when I try and respond, it is like talking to a brick wall. I just dont see how this is possible. Usually, I understand someone's position within a minute of them trying to explain something, if it even takes that long. However, when I try and tell them something back... it can take 20 minutes before they even begin to just nod their head in hopes that I will shut up.

This is all freaking ridiculous. On top of that, I do not want to have to talk for 20 minutes to try and convey one point to someone. It just wares me out... seriously. I get to the point, where I am just exhausted from talking for so long, trying every method imaginable to communicate one simple opinion.

I am convinced that I use 10x more words than I need to on a daily basis. I am certain that it is possible for me to be a more effective communicator, if only I could choose the right set of words the first time around. Seriously, I could get a lot farther with people in conversations if I could overcome this barrier.

I want to know how to talk with people, and I mean really talk with people. Not at them, not to them, but with them. I want to be able to communicate with the depth of their soul in such away that barriers and words are no longer an obstacle, and all that is being traded is the raw and naked truth of life (for better or for worse).

To me, that would be a miracle.

For now, me in all of my egotism will simply choose to believe that the truth that I hold to communicate takes an adjustment period of 20-30 minutes, and that is why it takes so long to convey this information to others... ;-)

Norman Bound, one advantage

I really like College, for the sole purpose that it takes me out of the crazy busy world that I normally live in (any time I am in Tulsa), and it puts me in my own world where I can set my own schedule. Now, eventually I fall back into my time-wasting ways, however, any time I get to go to a new college, there is always this beautiful first few months where I get to set my own hours and schedule for life, and follow it religiously.


And then life is beautiful. I absolutely love having a scheduled life, for the sole purpose that I love accomplishing so much in such a small amount of time. While I do not like being restrained or limited by a pre-determined schedule, and while being under a schedule does make me feel like a machine at times, still yet, I accomplish so much acting like a machine that, it is, for a time, worth the sacrifice.

I really hate feeling like I am wasting my time. My late New Years resolution, following the lead of my friend Shayna, is to stop wasting time. I get at most 16 hours in a day that I can utilize, and I would like to make the most of them.

First step, figuring out how on earth to get out of bed before 9am, haha.