Reflection Essay-Applying Principles Of Perception

Today many people still do not have the ability to communicate efficiently within interpersonal relationships. Communication that is effective normally takes place through teamwork as well as collaboration that effective communication occurs. It is through the analysis and studying the process of communication that people can improve their capability to communicate efficiently between one another (Jordan, 2008, p.65). Recently, my friend and I were having a conversation on whether same sex marriages should be legalized in the United States. I have always been a strong opponent of same sex marriages because of the religious background that I received while growing up. As a result, I have always known homosexuals to be evil people, as marriage should be an institution that brings together a man and a woman, and not people of the same sex. However, as I was conversing with my friends, I started changing my perception in terms of communication.

Firstly, this was a controversial topic that I would rarely discuss about with anyone. As a result, the selection of this topic would be difficult for me to handle as I would shy off and keep off the topic. Nevertheless, my friends made me to gain confidence and speak out my thoughts on this issue. I realized that communication is very imperative if one has to understand and relate with other people. Secondly, I realized that initially, I would not even be able to organize my thoughts logically on an issue that was as controversial as this one. My argument on this topic was made haphazardly and lack cohesion of ideas. As a result, I ended up making a lot of flaws in my communication. For instance, it came to my realization that I could not support my claim against same sex marriages and, as a result, I had a lot of hard time trying to convince my fellow friends. My interpretation of the topic was as well flawed. Since I had always shied away from such conversations, it was clear that I knew very little about it something that made me make misinformed remarks or comments. However, as I engaged in the conversation with my friends, somehow I started changing my perception on this issue and became more neutral. Interpretation is a very imperative aspect while holding interpersonal communication.

Access to information is significant in the comprehension of any issue, and also in communicating with other people (Wendt, Quist & Lloyd, 2011). My access to information relating to same sex marriages was very limited. I had barely read any newspaper article on this subject, yet there were many that were written in the past. As a result, my perception concerning this issue remained fixed. Therefore, with a few articles that my friends and I discussed about, my perception was easily changed.

Cultural differences as well are good determinants of how one can perceive a specific subject. People come from different cultures that expose them to a variety of beliefs and views. Wendt, Quist & Lloyd (2011) assert that all communication is culture; it draws on ways we have figured out how to talk and give nonverbal messages. People do not generally convey the same path from regular since variables like setting, individual identity, and mind-set connect with the mixture of cultural impacts we have disguised that impact our decisions. Communication is intuitive, so a critical impact on its viability is our association with others. These beliefs as well as views influence the manner in which we think about other people or different subjects. People who are from very conservative cultures will tend to think conservatively on issues like that which we were discussing about. Such was the culture that I come from. My culture is very conservative and even thinking about such an issue is a taboo. This really influenced my communication while we were discussing about the topic.

The behavior that might have been troubling me in handling such types of topics is lack of appropriate interpersonal communication skills. This skill is imperative while holding conversations as it enables people to understand each other in a more profound manner. In addition, I also stereotyped such types of topics. Stereotyping refers to a fixed impression regarding a group of people. Initially, I had attitudinal stereotypes on same sex marriages, something that made it intricate for me to handle the communication effectively.