Pragmatists believe that one must need to understand moves people use as they work out their relationship to one another. I really enjoyed how the book used the game of chess as a way of understanding pragmatists. While one person is deciding on what move to make, the other person is anticipating what move the other player is intending on making while anticipating what his or her next move will be. I believe this happens all the time in communication. People tend to sometimes not pay full attention and rather anticipate what the person they are communicating with is going to say next and most times the person is waiting with his or her response before the other person has even finished speaking. I think this is a very patterned interaction. It seems to have been bred in us. We often anticipate one another's move and are deciding upon what our next move will be before the other person has made his or her move which is very much like the game of chess. I also like how the book states that when a person decides to communicate with another person, they become partners in a game that requires individual moves. This I believe is a great way to define the pragmatists approach because you cannot really play too many games on your own (thinking outside the box of computer games, card games and such...more along the line of board games or physical sports) you need a partner. People are born to compete with one another and I believe this even falls into our communication skills. When having an argument and you KNOW you are right, are you willing to concede just because the other person won't quit arguing, or are you going to fight tooth and nail because you are correct and your point is very valid? I believe most of us would argue tooth and nail. I feel that communication may become less "game-like" only in maybe an academic setting. When you are being taught something, you want to soak up that knowledge, you are not sitting there thinking of the next move you will make, you are sitting there retaining the knowledge that is being put forth. But in our everyday lives, I feel communication is more of a game than not.
Kate
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. The way you mentioned how when you felt communication is less "game-like" is in an academic setting,I couldn't agree more! I see that communication is an academic setting is like absorbing the information, like a sponge. I could also see communication less "game -like" at a speech, because we don't necessarily get to respond to the speaker, we just sit there and listen to their values, statements, and/ or opinions. I liked the way you tied your post altogether, it was nice to read and made it easily to relate. I also found it funny when you kept mentioning "tooth and nail" in an argument. Believe me, I think every person has had some good arguments and when the words start flying, the mindset gets "in the zone" for game time.
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