Atharv Dua Week 11: D1 Yappers
I hate to break it to you, but humans…talk! By nature, we’re all social beings, which is why we crave companionship, fulfilling friendships, and overall refreshing relationships that help us feel happier after a long day including (say for example) a potential test on a play called The Crucible. Yes, some of us are definitely more introverted than others, but that doesn’t mean we don’t open up with our closest friends, and definitely not that we don’t communicate at all: what separates us from other species is our ability to form complex thoughts and then communicate those to others. Many animals, like elephants, whales or great apes have decently developed cognitive and social skills, but what separates us is abstract thought and the communication of that through complex language.
Then, wouldn’t it be true that complex language and by extension communication skills are powers for us? Well, for some. Getting up to speak in front of hundreds of people can still be scary for us. Some people prefer keeping their personality to themselves. Which is completely understandable, but these actions can hinder our ability to formulate the new relationships that we wish to have and prevent us from capitalizing on the power of communication.
We can’t be successful without talking. The way to improve, then, on social skills may just be to interact with other humans. Every muscle group needs practice: why wouldn’t our vocal cords? Go have that 5 minute conversation with the person with whom you were experiencing the trauma of the longest lunch line you’ve ever seen in your life. Go talk to the people next to you while the bus is shaking and stopping at the most inconvenient times. Treat it as a sport (it is, after all, d1 yapping): the circumstances are never going to be ideal so we might as well make the best of whatever situation we find ourselves in.
Hi, Atharv! I really like the title of this blog post :). Yes! Communication is so critically important to our everyday lives. We don’t really notice how much we depend on socialization since we already do it so often, but taking that away can cause serious damage. Solitary confinement, for example, is a method of psychological torture in which someone is kept in a room without any social interactions. That might sound fun for introverts, but the very core of our human nature depends on these interactions, and thus they can cause serious consequences such as anxiety or hallucination.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s really interesting how our generation especially communicates with one another because we grew up in environments that weren’t necessarily in-person (with the online learning and quarantine). Since we spent the peak of development of our lives in COVID, it’s expected that our generation struggles with the social interactions that former generations had experience with growing up. According to the National Library of Medicine, the lack of interaction we had only for those 2-3 years can cause increased depression and suicidal ideologies within our generation. I would definitely agree with you and say without a shadow of a doubt that communication and social interaction are so critically important to our lives because that’s not only how we speak up, but also what keeps us from going insane… literally.
Wonderful blog, Atharv!
Going off of the title of this post, I really find it perplexing how it’s common for Gen Z to ridicule people who talk a lot, despite social communication being one of humanity’s greatest assets. I find a lot of ways to complain about the desire of the youth to exude nonchalance as a way to somehow gain coolness points, as if shutting yourself off from everyone else is somehow something to aspire to. This especially occurs in the context of English classes—kids who actually put effort into analyzing works of literature and express their interpretations in class are labeled by others as “nerdy” or “tryhards” who “read too much into things.” This attitude not only ridicules people who visibly put effort into things that require emotional expression, such as art and literature, but also discourages those who have great ideas but are too shy to share them from engaging in class. It’s ironic that art is a pinnacle of human expression and emotion, but it’s being shamed into something more shallow by what we define as cool and not cool.
ReplyDeleteHello Atharv! This is a very interesting title. The reference to the “test” about The Crucible helped emphasize to the audience how it is a “long day.” By alluding to this test, we are able to empathize with the blog more and are more inclined to follow your advice and “crave companionship.” It is extremely important to communicate. Honestly, I would go as far as you and even consider it a sport. The casual tone utilized in this blog reinforces the understanding that the topic of communication is similar to a sport and is comforting to the audience. It is normal when speaking “can be scary” but it is necessary to “formulate the new relationships that we wish to have.” I completely agree with the idea about “we can’t be successful without talking.” As you mention, one of the biggest separators between us and other mammals is “the communication of [thought] through complex language.” I like how you compare communication to a “muscle group” as we need to continuously “practice.” The repetition with “go” helps create a sense of urgency in the blog for the audience to follow the message and agree with the argument. Thank you for this blog and motivating me to speak with my brother after this comment!
ReplyDeleteAs a yapper myself, I appreciate this blog! Talking is one of the many ways humans seek to feel seen by one another. For me, late night calls with my best friend are when I feel most comfortable, and they’re also the times when I become most open about my thoughts. Yet, because talking is so quotidian in nature, we often take the power of communication for granted. Charisma in conversations can help us network, make friends, and even learn empathy. When I choose to engage with a neighbor in the lunch line or bus, I am glimpsing into the life of another person, connecting with their unique experiences.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think that developing social skills comes from the environments we grow up in. You told me before that you moved around a lot as a child, from India to France to the UK. Do you think that contributed to your ability to make friends?