Communication Between Cultures

For example, during a single interaction there are six“people”involved: (1) the per-

son that you imagine yourself to be, (2) the other person as you perceive him or her,

(3) your notion of what you believe the other person thinks of you, (4) the other

person as he or she supposes he or she is, (5) how the other person perceives you,

and (6) the other person’s notion of how he or she believes you perceive him or

her. Trying to offer a summary for this idea regarding the complexity of communica-

tion, Smith states,“Human communication is a subtle and ingenious set of processes.

It is always thick with a thousand ingredients—signals, codes, meanings—no matter

how simple the message or transaction.”^9

Communication becomes even more complex when cultural dimensions are added.

Although all cultures use symbols to share their realities, the specific realities and the

symbols employed are often quite different. In one culture, you smile in a casual man-

ner as a form of greeting; in another, you bow formally in silence; and in yet another,

you acknowledge your friend with a full embrace.

Misconceptions About Human Communication

Having just spent some time discussing what communicationis, we now offer a brief

explanation of what it isnot. Below are a few common misconceptions. Avoiding

these mistaken beliefs about communication might improve the way you engage in

this multifaceted activity.

Communication Can Solve All Problems

First, as you have observed, communication serves a variety of needs in each per-

son’s life. From the moment of birth to when we say good-bye to those we love,

communication is an essential and important part of what it means to be human.

Yet the power and sway of communication are frequently overstated. You often

hear people say,“If we could just sit down and talk, we could end war and solve

the problem of global poverty.”While those declarations are well intended, they

contain a not-so-subtle message that communication is a cure-all. This same notion

of the magic potion effect of communication is also seen in personal relationships.

Many people believe that if they could compose a string of the right words, they

could mend a relationship that had been marked with deceit and duplicity. Simply

put, there are many occasions, regardless of what self-help gurus might preach, when

communication does not work. We should add that from a cultural perspective, a

reliance on communication to solve all problems is basically a Western idea. As

Wood points out,“Not all societies think it is wise or useful to communicate

about relationships or to talk extensively about feelings. Just as interpersonal com-

munication has many strengths and values, it also has limits, and its effectiveness is

shaped by cultural contexts.”^10

Some People Are Born Effective Communicators

There is a fallacy about communication that seems to be replicated generation after

generation. The myth purports that people are born with or without the ability to be

superior communicators. We called that assertion a fallacy and a myth because it is

simply not true. Admittedly, some people may have a facility and personality for feel-

ing comfortable around other people, yet every individual can develop the basic skills

36 CHAPTER 2•Communication and Culture: The Voice and the Echo

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