Must-Read: Be a Better Communicator

There is no more important thing in the world than communication. Go ahead. Try to think of one. And then try to imagine that thing, whatever it is, existing in a vacuum with no one around it to learn that it exists. It’s the whole tree falling in a forest when no one’s around thing. But how does one become an effective communicator. To find out, today we’re heading over to AskMen.com, where they have a quick, yet information, Q&A regarding how to master communication in your every day life. Here’s the part of the whole thing that made us stop in our tracks for a moment:

On the topic of conversation then, you?ve also found that controversy has a different effect than most people would expect. What happens when someone brings up something controversial?

JB: Controversy does two things: it makes conversation more interesting, but it also makes it more uncomfortable. If we?re always talking about things that people agree on, that can become boring. But when people disagree about something, especially if they disagree strongly, it can be uncomfortable to talk about. Depending on who you?re talking to, the effects may vary. If you know someone really well, then it?s more okay to talk about more uncomfortable things, so it might be more OK to talk about more controversial ideas. If we know someone less well, we?re less willing to share them. If you?re meeting a new boss, you?re not going to bring up issues like abortion and gay marriage.

Same with your identity online. If people know who you are and it reflects on your identity, you might worry about talking about controversial things. But if you?re anonymous, like on a discussion board, people are more comfortable bringing up controversial things.

Head on over to the above-linked interview to get the rest of the story, and then be a more effective communicator today!