My Words - Your Meaning

Many a times, I used to wonder. Why in the earth I need to blog? What is blog per se? Should we say web-logging? If so, what is it? What am I supposed to log- my daily activities, routines, or my personal issues, musings, my opinions, scribbles? What should I log? If the matter is unimportant, why I should log them in a web-page? Why can’t I do this in my personal diary? Why I want my personal diary to be an open-book?

Perhaps, I am doing this (blogging) because my ego wants to identify those who appreciate my views, those who accept my points and those who are like-minded spread around the globe. If that were not the case, one will not find the numerous war-of-words in the name of comments in the comment column. My ego is getting satisfied when I see that my blog is viewed by more numbers or whenever my blog receives more comments. Perhaps, I want more people to see my blogs. It is irrespective I address to mass or class! Whether they understand what I meant or not!

Communication is such a powerful tool that it has shrunk the entire globe to a size of a ball. One becomes friends without meeting each other. The only identification is their avtar or their blogs. Communication is a vast subject & I am not here to discuss or analyze it. However, communication has some limitations. Interpretation! Whether what I wrote is read in the same wavelength of mine? Do the reader empathize me? Does he ever misinterpret what I meant? What is the role of perception in this sort of communication? Is there a chance that the reader is biased to the author of the blog?

“My words – Your meaning” This seems to be a small phrase but has a very deep meaning to it. Of course, this is coined by none other than Rajneesh of OSHO. The vast subject of communication is simplified in this pretty small phrase.

I claim I am successful in communication whenever the reader reads my blog in the same wavelength of mine. If it does not happen, perhaps I am a loser! Mind it! Perception is more than reality. It is the perception of the reader decides the success of blog (or communication). It is like colorless water (rain) originated from black clouds takes the color wherever it reaches. If it falls on red sand, it becomes reddish, if it falls on sewage it turns black, etc., It is the readers’ perception decision. How I gage the perception makes me a successful blogger.

Another aspect is misinterpretation. India Press Media is notorious for this. For illustration, a small story:

A seer visited Paris, famous for its night-life. A reporter asked the comments of the seer on Paris’s night-clubs. Now the seer is in a fix. He cannot give negative remarks to a place where he is a guest. He cannot comment on the subject which is alien to him. He replied, “Is it? Are there night-clubs present here?” The seer thought he had handled the situation well till he saw the headlines next day. It read, “Are there night clubs in Paris?- Seer’s first question on landing”

Press is notorious for this. Mr. Advani had experienced this when he remarked on Jinnah. When Mr. Advani quoted from what Mr. Jinnah had said in the Parliament, it was misinterpreted as if Mr. Advani is giving a certificate to Mr. Jinnah.

This episode explains two limitations of communication. This is not a communication failure. It is the result of the biased listener. First it is a classic example of misinterpretation. Next is the bias part. Unfortunately, we are taught to listen to people and not to the subject. We never concentrate on the subject being delivered but on the person. If the presenter is your favorite, you would accept even what he said is wrong and vice versa. This plague of favoritism blunts the power of communication.

However, Blog is above these. In blogging, you are not person oriented. All you identify the person is by his blogs or the subject of his blog. Blogs are doing a major task pretty easily – Mass communication. Just by keying in on one screen, I communicate to numerous people spread all over the globe. Whether they accept what I say or contradict is a separate issue, but I reach whom I had never ever imagined.

I got the answer. I do blog because I like it. I communicate to those faceless personnel. My sayings cannot be misinterpreted but can be misunderstood. That is not my problem. There will be no bias as the receivers are unknown to me! I am above such limitations of communication. Happy blogging!