Expression vs. Communication
- Nina
- Apr 15, 2017
- 2 min read
We’ve all had those situations when we tried to put something into words and it just didn’t come out right. We looked into the eyes of the person we were speaking to, and we saw that they were either confused or had started to connect the dots in ways that were not intended. Perhaps the person was offended. Perhaps the person jumped to an unflattering conclusion about you. Perhaps the person just had no idea what you were talking about. Try as you might to express yourself, you simply were not able to communicate a point.
This is in part due to the fact that there is a huge difference between expressing yourself and communicating.
We all need to express ourselves. We need to find words that resonate with us to speak our truth. There are many avenues of self-expression, whether that is spoken word, dance, art, poetry, singing or anything else. Self-expression is a beautiful and captivating thing that helps us to feel seen and heard. At times we may be bubbling with joy and excitement, and we just need to express that electric feeling within us. Other times, we have to release the pressure or burden of something unpleasant, and that can only happen when we express ourselves in our own unique way. Expression is vital to our well-being.
Then there is communication. Communication is aimed at helping another person to understand what you are saying. Successful communication requires that the other person receives your message and is on the same page as you. By simply expressing yourself, you may not be able to get your point across. The words you use to express yourself may resonate with you, but they may not resonate with the other person. You have to consider their opinions, experience and beliefs. You have to rephrase things in a way that they can understand. Just as a brilliant scientist must use layman terms to get a point across to someone without the same education or experience, you must craft your words such that the other person can hear and understand what you are saying.
How many times has art been interpreted in different ways? An artist puts their heart and soul into their self-expression, and yet everyone who views it sees something different. They project their own experience onto it. They see things that line up with what they know from their own lives.
Ideally, everyone we communicated with would be on the same wavelength as us. Our manner of self-expression would be sufficient to communicate a point. Sometimes we are lucky enough to find a close circle of friends and family that require no additional effort to communicate with. Other times, we are not so lucky, and we have a terrible time communicating and understanding each other. When this happens, take a step back. Perhaps the words you are using are perfect. But are they words that make sense to the other person? How can you adapt your message so the other person can truly understand?
