Human connections are necessary for our survival. We are social creatures, relying on others for cooperation and support. Our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing depend on these connections. We need each other.
Communicating with others is a basic human need and the fundamental skill upon which all human relationship skills are built. Healthy living involves interacting and engaging with others, and our primary means of doing so is through shared language. Language is our primary means of communication. It is through language communication that we are able to share our ideas, opinions, views, and emotions with another person. With that exchange, we can connect - we can identify with and feel empathy toward another, giving us a sense of “belonging”. Through the use of language we can make sense of complex and abstract thought and new awareness can emerge in the midst of learning. We learn from each other.
While language is a tool, communication is an experience. Communication can be described as an act of transmitting ideas, information, or messages from one person or place to another via words or signs which are understood by both parties. It’s a crucial activity for any group of beings because it is the means by which members of the group cooperate for the benefit of all.
All forms of communication have the same goal, which is to be understood. This is best accomplished through the dissemination of information in a clear, comprehensible, and concise manner, based on credible and logical reasoning. To be heard and understood is a basic need for all of us. There are skills which can be learned to better fulfill this basic need. A writing coach works with the students to become clearer about their communication goals and use that clarity to make more purposeful decisions about how they use language to communicate. In this way, a writing coach enhances a student’s ability to express him/herself well, providing an opportunity to be truly heard and understood, thereby creating greater human connection. Honing our communication skills not only enhances any given exchange, but advances our communal efforts in becoming a healthier society at large.
With a coach’s help, the students can learn to become better at communicating their message to others. As a writing coach, I have been gifted with experiencing new and different points of view on various topics and themes that are of import to the students. Each time I have coached a student, I have experienced a new awareness of what they find important and how they are finding their place in this world. They give me hope for our future, and I need that in my life.
Why we need each other is simple – we are social beings; we have a desire to belong; we learn from each other.
“We must support each other and empathize with each other because each of us is more alike than we are unalike.” – Maya Angelou
