The History of Communication- Self Reflection

Reflection:
The study of communication and rhetoric has influenced my life greatly. What was discovered in those centuries long ago has provided me with a fundamental base for survival. If I did not know how to effectively communicate and advocate for what is important to me I would not be able to donate my thoughts in order to be a citizen of the world. Each year that I studied English, communication, and rhetoric I attained building blocks to be a good speaker. In first grade I began to read! This is when I realized that I could gather all this knowledge through books, news papers, encyclopedias, etc. Once I would read something interesting I would immediately want to present it to someone. Sometimes I would find that I really did not know enough on the subject matter to teach it to someone. This would make me want to learn more and more. As I began to develop by grammar skills I learned to present my ideas in a polished manor that made what I was saying more credible. Through essay writing I learned how to organize my ideas in order to present them clearly. In debate classes I learned about the three types of oratory and the three appeals. Even when I was speaking outside of debate class I would use the three appeals to persuade someone to share my opinion. And I am in fact a very non confrontational person, but knowing the three appeals comes in very handy during verbal disagreements. I had studied Plato and Aristotle before this class, but I had no idea all the ways that they contributed to communication. I think it is also important to acknowledge that many different forms of government were developed just so that we could communicate better. Democracy allows us to have a say in the people that ultimately make the decisions for us.
Every single day I try to effectively communicate with others so that my ideas and opinions can be presented and sometimes used to persuade. This can be very exhausting day in and day out, but I find that I become more eloquent the more I practice. The art of communication is something that happens over a great deal of time. It has taken us centuries to learn the basics. I think it is imperative to look at how communication started and how it has grown. Sometimes when I speak I get so wrapped up in what I am blabbering about that I forget my purpose. I will now use “the five canons” of effective communication when presenting a speech. Sometimes we need to turn back to the fundamental ideas of simply gaining knowledge and organizing before we present our thoughts.