DNL’s Speech during a gathering of
members of the Speech Communication Organization of
the Philippines held last May 25, 2006.
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| ``Making a Connection`` |
A gathering of communicators definitely is an exciting
event. Here is a group of people commonly dedicated to the
cause of communicating not only with each other but also
with the world at large. It is Tagbilaran’s honor to be
part of such an event.
Communication is generally defined as the process by which
information is transmitted through a common system of
symbols, signs or behavior. Along this vein, speech
communication is a technique to verbally express ideas
effectively.
Perhaps at no other time in man’s existence has
communication been so complicated. The advances made by
satellite technology have allowed the broadcast media to
beam live coverages of events in practically any part of
the globe as they unfold. As soon as the news team arrives
on the scene, the news is transmitted right into every
living room where cable TV is in service.
Right here at home, any mobile phone holder is accessible
virtually all the time - unless the unit is turned off or
when it is inside a dead spot.
And yet, effective communication, including speech
communication, still leaves much to be desired. Right in
the basic unit of society that is the family,
miscommunication frequently occurs between spouses,
between parents and their children and between siblings.
If animals can communicate effectively, it really boggles
the mind why human beings, with all the technology and
resources at their disposal, find it difficult or even
fail to get the message across. Of course, people are a
lot more complicated than beasts. A spoken word can be
taken to mean several things, thus making it vulnerable
to many interpretations. It becomes even more complicated
when there is an obvious effort to confuse or mislead. In
such instances, the objective almost always succeeds.
More often than not, miscommunication occurs when one or
especially both parties view the other with distrust. As
Marshal McLuhan once postulated, the medium is the
message. An effective speaker can win over people to his
desired objective through a deliberate distortion of facts
and ideas. A congenital liar who has perfected the gift of
gab has more chances of winning converts than a sincere
but stammering clergyman.
The point here is that like the proverbial story of the
hand holding the bird, you have the power for either good
or evil – even life or death. Like any person to whom much
is given, much is expected. Within your sphere of
influence, you have the potential either to make this
world a little better or a little worse.
As I welcome you today, it is my hope that you will take
your craft seriously. It is not so much because of what it
can bring to you but what you can bring to it. It is not
much because of what you become as a result of your
mastery of the craft, but what others will become because
of it.
Perhaps at no other time are people so skeptical and
cynical of each other. Perhaps no other generation has as
many skeptics and cynics per square meter than today. It
is not so much because people find it harder to
communicate but simply because people find it harder to
trust.
As you go about with the tasks that you have set before
you, i invite you to consider both form and substance.
What lies behind you and what lies before you are tiny
matters compared to what lies within you. When you are at
peace not only within yourself but with what you seek to
communicate, you will eventually make a connection.
Welcome and God bless you not only with a pleasant stay
but also a fruitful time. Good day. |
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