I have been reading alot this year with all my unexpected free time that I have at the moment. One of the authors that I have been reading is from the great philosopher and mathematician, Alfred North Whitehead. I wanted to share a quote from him that really resonates with me on many levels.
"Spoken language is merely a series of squeaks."
--Alfred North Whitehead
This quote was referenced on his thoughts about speech and lanugage.This quote is humorous to me as I am sitting here learning a new language and learning how to use my new words. It does make me notice a few possible truths about that statement.
As humans we communicate with much more than our words. There are so many other senses that are engaged when communicating. Whether we communicate on the phone, in person, through a letter, an email or chatting online. It has been studied that on average about 55-60% of our communication is nonverbal. The other part consists of the actual words and intonation from the voice, body movements and even posture. Think about that for one second. How much are we really saying when we use our voice? And are we being conscious of what we are communicating to others? How does what we say effect others?
To live consciously is a daily, minute by minute practice. And some days you may not be so aware of what you are saying. I mean we are all human and get caught up in emotion from time to time. As I have been quieting down lately I have realized for me that the words that I speak and/or write are becoming more and more important to me. Also the mood I am in when I speak or write them is notable. I have recently noticed this as I keep in contact with several of my family and friends via email and chatting due to the distance. In today's world we rely alot on the written communication through emails and chats. There is alot that can be misinterpreted during those communications. I feel it important to really stop and think about what you are saying and in what you really mean to say to someone. Having integrity in what you say and what you truly mean has impact on your relationship with that person.People listen to the words and feel the nonverbal cues. Other people pick up on your nonverbal communication and it can sometimes negate the words coming out of your mouth if they feel something totally different than what you are saying. My idea is to align what you feel, think and say. Be sure that what you are saying to someone is of the purest form of communication that you can have and that you really mean it. It will be well recieved and appreciated and possibly lessen the miscommunications you might have.
These are just my thoughts as I awaken my thinking once again after doing all of this reading. Whitehead's works were recommended to me by someone that I have grown to respect and admire in my life and I thank him for the suggestions on these great thought provoking works.
I hope everyone is having a wonderful week.
In love and gratitude
Asha
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