Choosing the Spotlight

How many of us every so often have looked upon with envy at persons who are celebrities or famous? They seem to be so glamorous, rich and receive little else but adulation wherever they go. They appear to have power and influence, travel to exotic places around the world, and be so removed from the day-to-day, even mundane challenges of life that we and all the rest of us "little people" face and, at times, struggle with. Who wouldn't want to live that kind of life? But one downside of being famous is that when a well-known person makes a mistake, does something dumb or behaves badly, everyone knows it. There is no hiding it. This is what comes from living life in the spotlight.

Communication presents this kind of circumstance as well. As an act of "other" - an attempt to reach beyond one's self and connect with another - then it, too, represents behavior characterized by seeking notice or being recognized by those outside ourselves. When we attempt to communicate with another, then we are voluntarily stepping into a spotlight not all that dissimilar from the one famous folks seem to dwell in. We are, in essence, saying "notice me." We want to be heard, to share or to reach out. We are purposely drawing attention to ourselves. As a result, we are placing ourselves in a position of being scrutinized by others, particularly if how we choose to communicate falls short.

As is the case with famous person, the fundamental act of communication is a leap into the fishbowl. If mistakes are made, if the communication is done poorly, does not succeed or is even carried out with less-than-honest intentions, then others know it. It does not matter how trivial or broad that act of communication might be. This, then, represents the double-edged sword of communication. Obviously, not all of our attempts to communicate are going to be successful; nor is each act going to be executed as well as they should. This is why we need to recognize the act of communication for what it is: a step into the spotlight and voluntarily making ourselves vulnerable to others.