Four axioms of communication
•
Paul Watzlawick first put forth his axioms of communication in the Pragmatics of Human Communication. His five axioms describe all interpersonal communications, but considering his theory in the context of conflict resolution allows negotiators and mediators keen insight into the source of communication breakdowns. As effective negotiators and mediators exhibit understanding and competence as interpersonal communicators, Watzlawick’s axioms provide a useful framework for the consideration of communication practices within conflict resolution.
All five of Watzlawick’s axioms will be explored across two blog posts. This post covers axioms one, two, and three. The next post will finish with axioms four and five.
Axiom 1: One cannot not communicate
Watzlawick&#;s first axiom means, “You have no choice in whether you do or don&#;t communicate. Everything you say or do conveys some kind of message. Even if you do nothing, that sends a message of its own.”[1] The first axiom d
•
The five axioms of communication
Whether through words, non-verbal signals or our silence, we communicate all the time. Communication is central to our daily lives and, of course, to our projects, but how does communication work? This question has long puzzled scientists and psychologists. A well-known theorist in this field is the Austrian-American communication scientist Paul Watzlawick. In the book "Pragmatics of Human Communication. A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes", which he wrote with Janet H. Beavin and Don D. Jackson, he presents five axioms that clarify the fundamentals of human communication. These five axioms (generally accepted ground rules that everyone assumes to be true) are used to illustrate that verbal communication is influenced bygd both the relationship between the dialogue partners and their feelings. Identifying the cause of conflict attempts to explain misunderstandings and conflicts. If the cause of a conflict is known,
•
Continuing from the previous post, Watzlawick’s Axioms and Conflict Resolution [Part 1], this post explores Paul Watzlawick’s fourth and fifth axioms of communication and a brief consideration his theory in the context of conflict resolution.
Axiom 4: “Human communication involves both digital and analogic modalities.”
Watzlawick&#;s fourth axiom expresses the idea that there are two modes of communication, the digital mode and the analog mode. The term digital means, “assigning a word to an object,” while analog refers to, “nonverbal means, such as body language, facial expressions, gestures, signs, tone of voice, etc.”[1] To paraphrase Watzlawick, there are two modes of human communications, the verbal and the nonverbal. It is important to keep in mind that the two modalities are independent entities for communication. Axiom Four is violated when there is a misinterpretation of either the digital or analog mode of communication.[2] For example, if two individuals are ha