Communication Basics: Communicating Well On Relationships

In college, I was introduced to the importance of communicating well.  It came through linguistics, the scientific study of language.  It is part of the larger topic of communication.  Lately, we have been hearing in the United States a lot of communication directed towards its citizens as many candidates try to convince the people to follow their vision for the country.  I want to turn to a very old message to society, found both in the Hebrew Scriptures of Isaiah and in the Greek Scriptures of Luke for what I think needs to be communicated well.  It is a summary statement of objectives in regard to a society or nation.  Let's see how the current leaders are communicating.

I know there exist complex issues in relating Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:18, since not all the wording is the same.  While I am fully aware of those issues, that is a topic for sometime future.  Time is limited in a blog post, so I am going to look at Jesus' manifesto. Here it is with some modifications in some of the translation:

The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me
to preach the gospel to the empty-handed;
he has sent me ...
to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives, and
to give recovery of sight to the blinded,
to offer freedom to the oppressed.

What I find interesting is what Jesus is offering and what is offered in Isaiah to people looking for a break in their lives to return to something healthier than what they are currently experiencing.  It is a time for healthy message to those experiencing lack; a time for change, a time for a break, a time for freedom,  a time for seeing things previously unseen.  We've heard speeches and communication that sound promising like this passage, but that also have failed to deliver.  What is missing?

I think what is missing is these promises without context or proper regard for the situation.  Here is an ideally balanced social manifesto outlined by my linguistics professors, William A. Smalley and Donald N. Larson, at Bethel University in the 80's.  Their strengths as professors of linguistics lay in their ability to look at language from a societal or anthropological perspective. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only ones who bring together this full outline of what I consider healthy or well-rounded communication.  Their outline for language classes were outlined as follows, with some minor changes that I'm quite certain they would approve were they still living by yours truly:

Model and Theory
Continuity and Change
Bond and Break
Rule and Freedom
Sense and New Sense

We've all heard speeches in the United States that proclaim each of the later items - theory, change, break (independence), freedom, and new sense (innovation) as virtues.  It is harder to sell the former items on the list, but that is a paramount tragedy.  If I follow my role model and live well, I hope that is celebrated!  If I am being paid fair wages that continue to rise according to merit, I hope that continues!  If I am married to the right marriage partner, I hope we keep our bond to each other forever!  If the rules I am given for success keep providing success, I hope I keep using those rules for achieving success repeatedly!  Finally, if I have sense to see things, then I don't regret it!

What theory, change, independence, freedom, and new sense are for is when those things aren't happening.  When their is disparity from fair wages, let change happen!  When a bond is violated, let independence be available!  When rules are not enabling, then let freedom reign!  When sense is nonsense, then let a new sense be discovered!   These are the contexts and situations when these all make sense.  They are not one size fits all situations solutions.  They are based on conditions and our responses to them in a society where we are in a relationship to each other.  A society needs to cater to what is healthy and remove what is unhealthy.  A society needs wellness.  We need to welcome what is needed to fill what is lacking.


So I am in favor of a wellness theory and the healthy communication of all that makes us well -
WHEN hands are empty from a model that lacks the particulars that follow.
So I am in favor of healing -
WHEN hearts are broken or breaking by negative amounts in trying to live life.
I am also in favor of liberty or independence -
WHEN people are made captives through barriers rather than bonds f relationship.
I am also in favor of freedom
WHEN the methods employed are not enabling, but disabling or oppressive to workers.
Finally, I am in favor of a new sense for students and teachers
WHEN the current sense can't see things that really exist.

So we in the United States are sometimes only fed part of what makes us whole and healthy.  We are only partly made well through the people fighting it out through a societal message to us.  Sometimes freedom is needed.  Sometimes it is not.  Sometimes independence is needed.  Sometimes staying in a marriage is needed.  To me, my professors ideas are well-communicated.  They made me well!  

Look at the conditions.  What makes us well?  It is the option that fixes what is lacking!  The welcome speech at a welcome time is what occurs in both Isaiah and in Luke.  It was the favored or opportune time in each case, because it made people well through what they needed in order to have their hands full in a healthy way!  Don't ever let our leaders leave you empty handed - that is not a welcome message!!


To You Hearing a Well Communicated Message,

Jon



P.S. This blog post is more about social health than mental health, but it also is based on the insights of the latter or I never would see the things I see in this post.