Capitalize on thought speed

The importance of listening in order to be able to effectively communicate is evident in both the text and by Dr. Nichols in “Listening is a 10 Part Skill.” There are many similarities between the novel and our text. Listening skill number three, “Hold your fire”  and the ambushing section of the text are identical in content. However, listening skill number ten, “Capitalize on thought speed,” is a topic of its own. The speed at which humans think compared to the speed at which we speak is drastically different. It is important that all the skills listed in the novel are used in order be able to capitalize on how quickly we think. Without the previous nine skills, the tenth skill would not be possible because the other skills actually teach you how to “capitalize on thought speed.” The last part of the novel reemphases that proper communication starts with our ears and being able truly listen to the communicator. 

I've never really liked Monopoly

Familiarizing myself with the six different forms of non listening was enlightening because I have been guilty of them all. Realizing how problematic non listening can be makes it possible to adjust any errors in conversation. Monopolizing a conversation is the form of non listening that I am going to try to improve. The times that this form of non listening really stands out is when I am conversing with strangers or people I really do not know. Understanding that I may not see these people again, I feel the importance of communicating my thoughts. However, this is not an excuse to monopolize a conversation. Just like the text says, “We already know what we think and feel, so there’s little we can learn from hearing ourselves!” (pg 154). People can learn more from one another then we realize and monopolizing a conversation hinders that learning, for this reason I am going to work on not monopolizing conversations that I partake in. 

PREJUDGEMENT

Time is what guides day to day life and without the it things would be impossible to adhere to. Having worked in a call center for Bank of America taking over 60 calls a day, one is bound to use prejudgement when assisting a client because each call is expected to be finished within a certain timeframe. With the massive amount of calls taken during the day, one would think that there might be a little verity within those calls. However, because most of the calls are similar, replacing a debit card, change of address, or the reordering of a tax document, prejudgement is used to finish the call promptly. Prejudgement can, and often does, back fire because another concern within the call can be missed. The prejudgement often adds time to the phone call as oppose to expediting the call. Being sure of what someone is going to say is not possible, which is why it is important to fully listen and only respond once the person has finished expressing themselves.

Religion = Hate Speech

Too many times wars have been started over misunderstandings or by the offensive nature words tote.  Hate speech is a civil war starter. People will fight in the streets over a disagreement of words and sometimes nothing more. It is interesting that hate speech is as guaranteed as any other First Amendment right understanding how people react to  scrutiny. The situation in Libya is an example of how a group of people, when confronted with the right images or insults, will go the extreme for what the believe in. We see this in our country today with the conservative Christians and signs says that homosexuality is a sin or that gays are going to burn in hell. Even if a place like that did exist, I would rather be there than a place where people judge others and tell them what they can and cannot do. Hate speech comes from one place, religions. Living to serve a God and believing that every act completed is by that God can hinder logical decision making. Even these comments about Christianity and God will upset someone, not because a curse word is being used, but because their beliefs are being questioned. Beliefs are passed on from generation to generation, therefore, there is an emotional tie to our beliefs. Because our beliefs are emotional, anything that is said about what we believe in is automatically an emotional insult. The decision to believe what has been passed down from generation to generation is not a logical decision, it is purely emotional. To reduce hate speech we need to reduce religion. 

Pico De Gallo

The American culture is influenced by the cultures of the world, making where we live a very unique place. The mixture of cultures has been referred to as a “melting pot” and is being criticized as of late. The criticism is not without warrant. Everything in the pot is forced to melt together and give up certain qualities that make each item unique. A pico de gallo salsa might be a more relevant metaphor to what the mixtures of cultures really resemble. The pico de gallo salsa has many different ingredients mixed together as a chunky and flavorful dip. The tomatoes, onions, chilies, and lime juice are chopped and mixed together. With salsa, all of the individual flavors stand out, at the same time, each of the flavors blend together. No flavors of the salsa are sacrificed and yet all are apart of one great combination.  As an American, we are exposed to many different cultures and we are able to absorb them and claim them as part of who we are. We may not do everything that the Indian culture does just because we had curry, however, having a cuisine from a foreign land gives us a little insight into what is important to that race of people. 

Abstract Language

"Down, set, hike!" To many people these three words are associated with American Football. Three words with three different meanings. What do they mean? Depending on how these words are used they will mean different things to different individuals. Often "down" is referring to direction, being the opposite of up. In the American Football context it refers to the Quarterback telling all of the offensive players to get ready to be "set." Once the Quarterback yells "set," all of the offensive players need to get ready for the ball to be "hiked" and no one is allowed to move once the "set" call has been made. Shortly after everyone is set the Quarterback will "hike" the ball. The "hike" call commands the football into the Quarterback's hands and gives an order to be completed by all the offensive players on the field. It is not a call for everyone to start walking long distance. These words are abstract in meaning and clarification is needed in order to succeed in playing American Football. These words are not the things themselves, but jargon that is represented differently depending on the context in which they are used. With the knowledge about abstract language it is possible to prevent communication errors.

What is Race?

Race gives us a glimpse into the past. Illness can be race specific, by knowing ones race it is possible to foresee any complications in the future and try prevent them. It is important to know the history we came from to understand and develop our future.  In health and society there are many different classifications about all races but these do not have to define people. What defines a person is how they view them self. I do not view myself as a race. I understand that my ancestors travelled here from different European countries but I classify my self as handsome, intelligent, and entertaining. To think that a person will turn out a specific way just because of the color of their skin is irrational. It creates excuses if someone fails and if someone succeeds. It is a way to hedge our bets, “We’re right if the white kid succeeds because he was suppose to and we’re right if he fails because no one can expect that much out of a person.” Classifying people by race merely for medical reasons is a fine way to advance our society and help prevent illness. The area that classifying a race is irrelevant is in the job market.

The Self-Fufilling Prophecy

Growing up the son of a skilled all-around athlete, my father found it important to institutionalize sports at an early age. My first sport I started at the age of 5 was coach pitch soft toss hardball. Something that my father told me religiously before every at bat was to imagine what I was going to do the ball. I was not to think about how the ball could hit me or that I might swing and miss. By having an image of me hitting the ball, I was giving myself an advantage through the use of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Of course I did not know that at the time, but looking back, I can see how important it was for me to be reassured that I was going to get that hit. I may not have gotten a hit every time, however, I am sure there were more hits because of the confidence that was instilled prior to me even stepping into the box. The self-fulfilling prophecy can either make or break a person, not just in sports or school, but in day to day life as well. You cannot really control what others think of you. For this reason, it is important to convey a positive self-fulfilling prophecy. The text uses the lack of a teachers respect as a result of not doing well in a prior classes and using that as the existing excuse to fail the current class. If the self-fulfilling prophecy is used in a positive way then it is possible to overcome a previous experience with teachers that lack respect.

Self-Actualization

Growth is important in the development of the human mind. Self-actualization is a part of this growth. Outside the normal human needs of survival, safety, belonging, and esteem, we need to be able to affectively witness growth. The text provides two examples of self-actualization, in the examples there is a wiser person giving someone that is in need of guidance the specific attention in order to see growth. Each person is seeing the growth, the first in them and the second in the person that they are guiding. The importance of self-actualization goes beyond just the individual. With examples such as, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. Buddha, and Confucius, it is evident how self-actualization goes beyond the individual and where the importance lies in human growth. The difference one person can make in a city, society, or world is reliant on the person that seeks ultimate growth. Growth not only for themselves, but for everyone around them as well.