Chapter 3 blog- how do you see things?

I believe that perception is the way we see ourselves and others around us. This perspective of ourselves and others dictates much of our behavior. In fact, the world around us is perception. The objects, people, situations, facts, ideas, and roles are all perceptions of what exists. It is incredible how one person, fact, or idea can be perceived in a multitude of ways. But each of these ways dictates further perception formation, belief formation, and actual behavior. We also have very specific perceptions of ourselves, called a self-concept. This self concept that is our picture of ourselves, can be very different from the way that and others perceive us. We must be very careful in the establishment of these perceptions in both ourselves and in others, as this could lead to inappropriate inferences and assumptions about the person we are presenting to others and the people we are assessing and perceiving. I feel it is important for us not to forget to assess our self-concept and the perception we have of others, so as to continue to improve our communication. It is obvious that this element of perception affects our ability to be good and effective communicators. We also want to make sure that we are seeing the real picture of ourselves as communicators, since we often have a negatively skewed view of how we look in front of a group of fellow students. Such a negative self-concept in terms of public communication can be damaging. I have noticed this damaging sense of self as a communicator in much of my own speeches, as I approach the front of the classroom, filled with dread. From others that I have spoken with, this feeling of dread is commonly felt across speech students.

Do you think you have improved your self-concept as a communicator and public speaker through the participation of this course?