Ten Commandments of Interpersonal Communication: Personal Principles for Relationship Development
Overview
This reflection paper presents ten personal commandments for interpersonal communication derived from course concepts. The student synthesizes learning from each chapter to establish guiding principles for meaningful relationships, including active listening, avoiding premature judgments, clear language use, nonverbal alignment, and emotional expression.
What this reflection paper covers
- Active listening versus hearing and techniques for focused attention
- Bias awareness and impression formation in initial interactions
- Concrete language use and clarity in peer communication
- Nonverbal communication alignment with verbal messages
- Confidence and self-assurance in interpersonal interactions
- Seeking clarification in conflicting messages
- Healthy emotional expression in relationships
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Final Project: My Ten Commandments of Interpersonal Communication
Based on the concepts I have learned this semester, the ten commandments I want to live by in my most precious relationships are:
- Thou shall not just hear but actively listen (chapter 4).
I chose this commandment because I realize the difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physiological ability, while listening is a learned skill that involves consciously interpreting another person's message (Punches and Salazar, pg. 94). An example of putting this commandment in action is setting aside everything and paying attention to a speaker to avoid distraction.
- Thou shall not be quick to form impressions of other people (chapter 6).
I chose this commandment because everyone is generally biased, and it is easy for me to misperceive others because they failed to create a positive first impression. It is natural for everyone to form impressions about other people very quickly, even when they have not spent sufficient time with those people to know them well enough (Punches and Salazar, pg. 164). An example of putting this commandment into practice is accepting an apology from a classmate who arrives late for the first group meeting without forming any negative impressions.
- Thou shall speak clearly and avoid abstract language (chapter 5).
I chose this commandment because I understand that language can be interpreted differently; therefore, speaking clearly is essential to effective communication.