"Communication Breakdown"
Communication is a funny thing. It's supposed to be so simple. The one thing we all do with one another to help each other understand what were thinking about or where were coming from. But instead it is so complex, it's frustrating. I understand everyone is not wired the same way and I'm glad we aren't because that would be lame. But why is it that we spend so much time as humans trying to explain to others how we feel, only to come out of it more frustrated and confused? I know what this is like. So often there are times in my life where words cannot express the way I feel. We all encourage each other to talk about it especially when its about struggles or pain, but what happens when you do try and talk about it and no one seems to understand? I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is struggling with boredom. More importantly, struggling with the temptation of sin that arises because of boredom. I was blessed to be able to talk with this person about it and certainly was encouraged by the honesty, yet I felt a sense of confusion and frustration that I didn't really understand what he was feeling like. I'm sure he felt the same way. We're told that talking about it helps you to confront whatever it is your going through, and I believe it does when communication is clear. But when its not and the words just seem to get lost in the confusion, it breeds more sadness and pain. I guess the important thing I realized was that we often think we can resolve all our issues. Whether it is within ourselves or with others that we care about. But the fact is that sometimes, You and God are the only ones who really know what's going on inside. Maybe we trust our human capabilities to understand more than God's. I don't know. I just wonder why we are constantly led to believe that the center to our understanding is our own intuition. It's no wonder were constantly left feeling worse than we did before. We just won't accept that were finite. We push on, stubbornly, towards the goal of personal enlightenment avoiding reality. I worry about myself. How many crushing blows can a prideful soul take before it, either, calls out to it's creator or dies in meaningless, self-defeat?
posted by Brent Hitman at 11:10 AM
4 Comments:
Brent I wonder if the frustraition comes from the human desire to control. When we listen to others are we trying to fix their problems or are we seeking to sit with them in the pain? I think most of the time we want to fix others problems, we want to say the right thing to snap them out of it. But maybe the person is suffering for a reason, and the thing that they need is for another humanbeing simply to awknowledge the pain, and sit with them in it.
I don't know if I'm touching on the situation you talked about. I often feel alone on the inside. That's one of the reasons I like the books and movies I like. Often, the best movies just show us that we are not alone in our stuggles and they give us analogous situations to use in communication with one another.
I liked this post because it is a real issue, it is deeply engrained wound we all share, and yet feel alone in. Thanks for opening up the conversation.
Nice conclusion. A little violent, but nice. Ironic. When you said that sometimes just us and God know what's going on inside, I agree but I actually think sometimes it's just God. I don't understand myself half the time, and all of my hope is in the promise that God does. And Jordan, I like your point about control versus the willingness to "sit with them in the pain." You poet, you.
Jordan, I think you nailed it when you said "I wonder if the frustration comes from the human desire to control". I think that's where the pride comes in. We try to hard to solve people's problem and play "Psycologist" if you will, instead of lending an ear and just being there. I think we also be-little the importance of listening. Sometimes, people don't want you to try and solve their issues. All they want is to vent and for you to just hear them out. Maybe the most caring and loving thing you can do is to not say anything. Thanks Jordan!!
For your birthday I got you second place in a fantasy baseball league. Enjoy.
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