The Ideal Communicator

Aristotle, otherwise known as the "Rhetoric Dad," considered the ideal communicator as a "man of goodwill." If Ari were still with us today, he would say a "person" of goodwill, but back them the word "men" could mean just a bunch of guys, or a group of men and women.

You know how a dog can feel the fear of a perfect stranger? Well, human beings can perceive fear in others too, though usually we don't bite or growl when we're around someone who's uncomfortable. What happens is the feeling of not being comfortable, a slightly negative energy, infiltrates the situation...and that's not a good thing.

Being an ideal communicator begins with a focus on the other person. As has been stated before, good communication is not about you, it's about making the other person feel comfortable and understand your message.

(That's what good manners are for in the first place, by the way, not all at about impressing others.)

Ideal communication is a combination of two things: what you say and how you say it. The core foundation of good communication is good intentions.

You've heard that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. That's absolutely false. The road to good communication is good intentions, the rest follows from that starting point.