univ 100 discussion
- What did you learn this week about communication that stood out to you, and what does scripture say about resolving conflict?
side note
“In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams” (Daniel 2:1-2, English Standard Version)
The wise men of Babylon were unable to interpret the king’s dreams without first hearing its details. Enraged by this response, the king ordered his captain Arioch to kill all the wise men of Babylon. However, when he heard of this, “Daniel replied [to Arioch] with prudence and discretion” (Daniel 2:14) as to the decree’s nature, after which “Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king” (Daniel 2:16).
As a godly man in a pagan culture, Daniel had to be wise – using “prudence and discretion” in the way he communicated with the people around him, especially the king.
Jeff Bradford, President and CEO of the Bradford Group, writing for Forbes, made this comment: “Any management consultant will tell you that communication skills are vital to success in business. Business is fundamentally about getting other people to do things — getting employees to be productive, customers to buy your product or service, government to leave you alone — and you can’t make these things happen if you can’t communicate well.”
Excellent communication is a skill that is critically important not just in the academic environment, but in everyday life. To succeed in academics – even in the online environment – proper communication is key. A better understanding of the fundamentals of communication will help us reduce misunderstandings, ensure accuracy in sharing information, and improve relationships. Speech characterized by “prudence and discretion” is a noble goal.
The materials this week provide basic information about the mechanics of interpersonal communication and also explore the motivations for our speech.
