Game On!

        Communication is a patterned interaction when two things occur, first is that both participants must be able to think. Second is that both parties have to be playing the “game”. When considering it from the pragmatic perspective, the communication between parties must involve both parties having an objective. That objective doesn’t necessarily need to be self-serving, but the approach is one that leads to gaining something from the communication.

 

        In most cases, when we communicate with others we are looking for information. Whether it is just simple knowledge about the other party, or it being to gain insight that might allow us to gain something from them, information is exchanged. It’s like a game in that one party may make statements or ask questions that will prompt the other to give a direct response or answer, or in turn to refuse to respond or answer. Either way, the prompter will gain knowledge about the other party. Like a game, there is a back and forth where the players position themselves to reach their desired outcome.

 

        Unlike a game however, there will not always be a clear winner or loser. In an even exchange, both parties will come away with their desired goal reached, both considering the win theirs. In some cases both parties will walk away without reaching their desired goal, and feel that it could have gone better, or rethinking their strategies for future communications. Sometimes, one or both parties come away having only completed one goal, or gotten half of an answer. They may rethink what the best possible outcome was for them and reassess the goal realizing that they got the best that could have been expected.

 

        In any case, communication can definitely look like a game, and most of us treat it as such, even if we’re very selective about when and how we play and with whom. Even as I write this blog, I do so hoping to communicate information, insight, as well as achieve a passing grade in this class. Will I win? Will you?