A couple of old frameworks to help think about communication, at a moment when communication is everything and is greatly misunderstood.
First, the maxims of Grice.
Quality – Make your contribution one that is true.
Quantity – Make your contribution as informative as is required (no more).
Relevance – Make your contribution relevant, pertinent to the discussion.
Manner – Make your contribution clear, brief, orderly, avoid obscurity and ambiguity.
Then, the Buddhist four gates of speech.
Is what I have to say true?
Is what I have to say necessary?
Is what I am saying kind?
Is it the right time?
Writing, speaking, in general communicating without having these in mind generates weak and unaffecting communication.
[…] a moment to reflect on how you actually feel and what is appropriate to share with the other (and how). That might start a very different conversation than the unsympathetic one we got used to. And it […]
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[…] carefully. I mean this in the broadest possible way. A good framework to look at it through is Grice’s maxims: quality (a message that is true), quantity (a message that is no more than what required), […]
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