Human Communication and Its Effect

By Dr. Gilbert H. Edwards Sr

This book is focused on effective communication, because too many ineffective communications have caused failure in so many lives. Many homes or marriages are broken-up because of the lack of communication. Families such as, father with son and mother with daughter, do not have a good relationship because of the lack of communication.

This book will reach out to some families to attempt to explain to them the importance of effective communication. The purpose is to identify and explore the elements of effective communication and to practice communicating effectively.

This study for effective communication has been prepared to help families, marriages, work places, etc. to increase their effectiveness
in communicating.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481779906

Dr. Gilbert H. Edwards Sr

Bishop, Dr. Gilbert H. Edwards, Sr. was born and reared in Maryland. He attended the Pomphrey Elementary School of Patapsco Park, Maryland and The Bates High School in Annapolis, Maryland. He spent his last year of high school in South Fallsburg, New York. Dr. Edwards received his ministerial calling in 1968. In August 1982, Bishop Edwards received his pastoral ordination credentials from the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Church Association, Inc. (PCAF) Bishop Edwards serves on the Board of Bishops for the Pentecostal Churches of the Apostolic Faith Association, Inc. Dr. Edwards obtained his Associate of Arts and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Biblical Studies from the Arlington Bible College in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1993, he received his Master of Arts Degree and in May 1996, he achieved his Doctorate of Theology in Biblical and Theological Studies from the Antietam Bible Seminary in Hagerstown, Maryland.

Book preview

© 2013 Dr. Gilbert H. Edwards, Sr. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 7/30/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-7992-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-7991-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-7990-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013913052

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Definition of Communication

Chapter II The Importance of Communication

Chapter III Excommunication

Chapter IV Active Listening

Chapter V Effective Communication

Chapter VI Defensive Communication

Chapter VII Communication Barriers

Chapter VIII Effective Communication for Teaching

Chapter IX God Communicated to the World (It Is Not Good To Be Alone)

Chapter X The Great Communicator

Chapter XI Family Communication

Bibliography

Preface

I have focused on effective communication, because too many ineffective communications have caused failure in so many lives. Many homes or marriages are broken-up because of the lack of communication. Families such as, father with son and mother with daughter, do not have a good relationship because of the lack of communication.

I feel a need to reach out to some families to attempt to explain to them the importance of effective communication. The purpose is to identify and explore the elements of effective communication and to practice communicating effectively.

One should not be too busy to communicate with family or anyone else. Always be ready to discuss whatever topic is of interest to your family or anyone. This study for effective communication has been prepared to help families, marriages, work places, etc. to increase their effectiveness in communicating.

Introduction

I have seen too many leisure and not so many effective communications between one another, especially between love ones. I believe that there is a need to learn how to communicate more effectively and learn the communication barriers that block good communication.

There are skills for effective communication and everyone should know what they are. There is a need to listen to what others have to say; learn not to interrupt when someone is talking; and don’t do all the taking, not giving the other a chance to respond. Before you can respond back, you must be able to correctly interpret the message that was sent to you. Listen so that you can understand the sender. The author is trying to save some marriages and family relationships.

We sometimes seem empty, unsure, without a clear vision, or a strong purpose. We stumble against the darkness of broken promises and forgotten dreams. We ache for closeness and fear it at the same time. We yearn to have a friend who will stay with us a little longer than the last one, or for someone who will know us and find us beautiful. We struggle to say the right words, or enough words, and wonder if anyone has heard us. We wrestle with our feelings, unsure of their names and even less sure of their meaning. In our darkness, we look for someone to hover over our barren lives and see there’s a potential for intimacy. We wait for breath; we listen for a word. Just as in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth; Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, and God’s spirit hovered over the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2) Creation is a continuous process. Breathing, hovering, and speaking – these are real life experiences needed in all ages. The invitation to participate in and continue the communication process we call creation, was extended to all people as part of the entire creative act.

The purpose of writing this book is so readers can identify and explore the elements of effective communication and to practice communicating effectively. Because communication is essential to everything we do with people, persons who communicate effectively get things done!

Also, we will point out and study: Excommunication, skills for effective communication, defensive communication, active listening and techniques for active listening, and communication barriers.

Chapter 1

The Definition of Communication

Communication is the sharing and understanding of information. It is the single most critical skill needed for problem-solving and team success. The diagram below shows the transmission or exchange of ideas, information, etc., through speech.

page6.jpg

An Example of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

(St. John 4:7-26)

This example is a perfect example of effective communication, which will be talked about in a later chapter. To communicate is to listen while the other individual talks without any interruptions. Let’s look at the following dialog:

Jesus - Give me to drink.

The Samaritan Woman - How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus - If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou would have given thee living water.

The Samaritan Woman - Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

Jesus - Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The Samaritan Woman - Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Jesus - Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

The Samaritan Woman - I have no husband.

Jesus - Thou hast well said, I have no husband: in that saidst thou truly.

The Samaritan Woman - Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

Jesus - Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

The Samaritan Woman - I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Jesus - I that speak unto thee am he.

(This conversation is a complete communication.)

To prove that it was a perfect effective communication is shown by its result – read verses 28-39 of St. John 4. This communication changed the woman of Samaria to a great Missionary of Jesus. Communication means moving toward others rather than away from them. It means speaking and behaving in such a way that a person’s life is focused toward relationship. Effective communication is that style of interacting that moves people toward friendship and intimacy.

The Meaning of Interpersonal Communication

Communication involves the reciprocal process in which messages are sent and received between two or more people. This book focuses on the communication exchange between you, our spouse, your family and others. Communication can either facilitate the development of a good relationship or create barriers. There are two parts to face-to-face communication; the verbal expression of the sender’s thoughts and feelings, and the non-verbal expression:

(1) Verbally - cognitive and affective messages are sent through words, voice inflection and rate of speech; and

(2) Non-verbally – message are conveyed by eye movements, facial expressions and body language.

Senders determine what message they want to transmit to the receiver and encode their thoughts and feelings into words and gestures. Senders’ messages are transmitted to the receiver through sound, sight, touch and occasionally through smell and taste.

Receivers of the messages have to decode the verbal and non-verbal transmission to make sense of the thoughts and feelings communicated by senders. After decoding the senders’ words, speech patterns, and facial and body movements, the receivers encode return messages either verbally through words, or non-verbally through gesture.

In an interaction between two people, each person is both a sender and a receiver and alternates between these two roles. When senders are speaking, they are also receiving messages from the person who is listening. Listeners not only are receiving speakers’ messages but also are simultaneously sending messages.

An important function of communication is to transmit messages from one person to another. The real purpose of communication is to create meaning. Senders of messages wish to convey meaning to receivers and vice versa. With this intent, senders choose certain words and gestures in a way that they believe is congruent with their intended messages. The senders’ objective is to transmit a message that is clear and understandable to receivers.

The purpose of communication