silent is golden

communication indeed, is one inevitable largest chunk of human life whether it happens verbally or none verbally. while communication can take place in many ways and is determined by so many variables, this tricky business can either make us feel successful or vice versa. i believe it is not uncommon to find ourselves gasping and wandering, when what we say seems to disappear into the thin air rather than touching the heart of our listeners. very often too, what is supposed to bring positive and meaningful interaction transforms into complicated and negative conversation, if not argument. unfortunately, the latter often results into misunderstanding, groundless gossips, and worst among all, bickering and disintegration between members of a particular envoy!

whether we like it or not, diplomatic life requires us to socialize and hence interact with a lot of people around us, especially those within our diplomatic corps. so, knowing what to watch out for during conversation can save us a lot from headache. though a pleasant and constructive exchange is determined not only by one single factor, language by all means, is one crucial yardstick which facilitates a fruitful one.

effective communication and diplomacy should consider phonological features during interaction. stress, rhythm, and intonation can largely affect the message we are trying to deliver. when dealing with those outside our diplomatic circle, some knowledge in the local or host culture can make a huge difference. linguistics or grammatical elements are certainly highly important. connotations or word choice, collocation or what word goes with what word, register, genre, cohesiveness and coherence, all make a great linguistic package we should wisely utilize.

another equally crucial point to consider is para-linguistics rudimentary; non verbal clues such gestures and facial expression, together with body language that includes eye contact, posture and positioning. a careful selection and use of both the linguistics and para-linguistics devices may greatly assist a win-win exchange of ideas and thought. a win-win exchange of ideas and thought. yes. and hence, let's underscore the vitality of acknowledging others through turn-taking.

however, at times communication may become unnecessarily extremely difficult. as mentioned earlier, of course there are numerous other factors that influence the outcome. when the atmosphere is filled with hot air, and when people started making a song and dance for instance, the best thing to do is to be quiet. it is absolutely futile to clarify, to defend or to argue if we are already in a bad book, because our receivers' negative perception and attitude towards us will directly impact the transmitted messages. thus, in unavoidable circumstances, remember, silent is golden. at times, we can perhaps temporarily press our ‘sleep’ button while waiting for the hot air to pass by :-)