Ever-Present Vulnerability

In a recent entry I observed that communication, despite the sophistication that often is associated with it in terms of strategies and various layers of depth, is an act that any one can perform. We all communicate though, obviously, some better than others and not all of us with nearly as much consistent success as we might wish. As it is in hitting a baseball, sometimes one makes contact and sometime one swings and misses. Still, much like kicking over a barn, as President Johnson once said, "any jackass can do it." Given this, there is a certain level of comfort that comes with communication in that it is always happening.

Another fundamental truth is that any time one attempts to communicate or connect with another, there is a certain amount of vulnerability at-play. What do I mean by that? As an example, let me point to a young man who takes a fancy to a young woman. He wants to get to know her and perhaps even ask her out on a date. Regardless of how smooth his gift of gab might be, there is always a chance he may be rejected. His attempt to reach-out may fall short. By introducing himself and asking the young lady out, the young man is taking a risk. He is making himself vulnerable in an attempt to achieve a specific goal.

Any act of communication carries with it an element of risk. We speak with the intent of being understood and generating some sort of reaction that could range from interest and agreement to engagement and further enlightenment. None of these things may happen, however, if we do not communicate very well. The person on the receiving end of our message may respond with a look of confusion or, even worse, turn-away. Yet this risk that one takes when attempting to communicate with another occurs all the time. Making one's self vulnerable is but one more element within the act of communicating.