Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is basically face-to-face interaction between two people (Trenholm, 2008, p. 141). This is important in all facets of life. It is how we build relationships, tell stories, or close a business deal. My overall skills in this aspect of communication have evolved over time. As a shy kid, I often had trouble expressing myself around strangers especially one-on-one. That was one reason I had trouble building new relationships outside my friends and family. It has also helped me to value the strong personal relationships that I had even more. I have grown to be more open and casual in my interpersonal contact which has made me an overall effective communicator.

The communication perspective I identify with the most is the pragmatic model. In this perspective, communication is seen like a game. The two “players” exchange “moves” which are based in strategy and routines. This kind of makes communication sound self-serving and impersonal. However, I argue that most, if not all, of life is spent serving our own interests whether it is perceived as selfish or not. And much of life is also based in routine. Even though every second we live is different than the last, we draw on the basic principles and experiences we know in order generate our responses. Games can also be friendly or played for profit or personal gain. Overall, though, communication is a game we have played a million times. We see patterns, recognize types of people, and adjust our communication to whichever game we feel like playing. Playing together so often allows us go in directions that we know the others around us can follow. It's chemistry and is mostly all unsaid.

References
Trenholm, S. (2008). Thinking through communication. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.