I was having a conversation the other day about the top five most irritating things you could say to a person, number one being the obvious "Calm down" - a phrase which in fact is particularly annoying when you are indeed, irrationally UNcalm.
When you've spilt your coffee, got stuck in traffic, forgot your blackberry, lost your parking pass, and are basically going head-to-head with that last straw, and you encounter someone who, on the other hand, is exemplifying a demeanor most comparable to Strawberry Shortcake, and that person tells you to "Calm Down"...I think we all could agree the only appropriate reaction is to perhaps, I don't know, punch that person in the face. Or wring their neck. Or your personal choice of physical yet very figurative (*no, I do NOT condone violence of any kind) intent to harm for that irritatingly admirable person who has complete control of their mental and emotional faculties and is telling you to "calm down."
But I stray. A strong second on the list of the top most irritating things you could say to a person is "Lower your Voice." Now clearly, in this context, this phrase is intended to reference the actual volume of a person's voice, which in all cases, is too loud. Too many people can hear you. You might offend someone. The information you are relaying is private or personal or most certainly not meant to be shared with others. For all the meaning behind this one little phrase, I began thinking about how oddly applicable it is to communication at large in a ever-evolving technology age.
For the average individual 50 years ago, publicly sharing one's opinion on any topic used to be faux pas, let alone easily achieved. Gaining an audience of perhaps a few hundred in a small community newsletter editorial could take months, and even then, your words were still very likely fine-tuned for the "broader audience." Topics like politics, sex, money, social norms were an implicit taboo unless aligned to the greater authority, whether it be the government, a church, or a social movement. Back then, the cultural message to the average person was a carefully packaged "lower your voice," and society - for the most part - obediently obliged.
And now here we are. The internet age in the broad sense is past, and we've moved into the more specific period of digital media driven by the lone consumer. We, the general public, not only can share our opinions on any topic at any time, but we have a number of mediums to choose from, ranging from the 140 character Twitter post to this very blog. For isn't that the very meaning of a blog? To explain yourself, share your opinion, to have a voice - as loud or as quiet as we want it to be, without regulation? The transformation of communication mediums has given us all an opportunity to speak up, and therefore who am I to sit the bench?
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace - it's about reaching out and sharing with friends, but from a bigger picture, it's about participating in society - the world is talking about politics, money, relationships and social norms, and forming a consensus with or without you.
Let's be serious - I'm no expert. On anything. Period. Except maybe my dog's expressions. What I write about relationships or geopolitical issues is not theoretically proven or scientific law. But the magic of this technological social movement is that you don't have to be an expert; as individuals, by definition, we all offer the oh-so-intriguing concept of a unique perspective and more often than not, the comfort of relatability.
So welcome to my blog...expect it to be too personal at times. Or offensive. Or not meant to be shared with others. Because when someone irritatingly tells you to lower your voice, what do we all really do anyway?
"NO, I will not LOWER MY VOICE!"
There is usually a reason why people are loud in the first place.
When you've spilt your coffee, got stuck in traffic, forgot your blackberry, lost your parking pass, and are basically going head-to-head with that last straw, and you encounter someone who, on the other hand, is exemplifying a demeanor most comparable to Strawberry Shortcake, and that person tells you to "Calm Down"...I think we all could agree the only appropriate reaction is to perhaps, I don't know, punch that person in the face. Or wring their neck. Or your personal choice of physical yet very figurative (*no, I do NOT condone violence of any kind) intent to harm for that irritatingly admirable person who has complete control of their mental and emotional faculties and is telling you to "calm down."
But I stray. A strong second on the list of the top most irritating things you could say to a person is "Lower your Voice." Now clearly, in this context, this phrase is intended to reference the actual volume of a person's voice, which in all cases, is too loud. Too many people can hear you. You might offend someone. The information you are relaying is private or personal or most certainly not meant to be shared with others. For all the meaning behind this one little phrase, I began thinking about how oddly applicable it is to communication at large in a ever-evolving technology age.
For the average individual 50 years ago, publicly sharing one's opinion on any topic used to be faux pas, let alone easily achieved. Gaining an audience of perhaps a few hundred in a small community newsletter editorial could take months, and even then, your words were still very likely fine-tuned for the "broader audience." Topics like politics, sex, money, social norms were an implicit taboo unless aligned to the greater authority, whether it be the government, a church, or a social movement. Back then, the cultural message to the average person was a carefully packaged "lower your voice," and society - for the most part - obediently obliged.
And now here we are. The internet age in the broad sense is past, and we've moved into the more specific period of digital media driven by the lone consumer. We, the general public, not only can share our opinions on any topic at any time, but we have a number of mediums to choose from, ranging from the 140 character Twitter post to this very blog. For isn't that the very meaning of a blog? To explain yourself, share your opinion, to have a voice - as loud or as quiet as we want it to be, without regulation? The transformation of communication mediums has given us all an opportunity to speak up, and therefore who am I to sit the bench?
Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace - it's about reaching out and sharing with friends, but from a bigger picture, it's about participating in society - the world is talking about politics, money, relationships and social norms, and forming a consensus with or without you.
Let's be serious - I'm no expert. On anything. Period. Except maybe my dog's expressions. What I write about relationships or geopolitical issues is not theoretically proven or scientific law. But the magic of this technological social movement is that you don't have to be an expert; as individuals, by definition, we all offer the oh-so-intriguing concept of a unique perspective and more often than not, the comfort of relatability.
So welcome to my blog...expect it to be too personal at times. Or offensive. Or not meant to be shared with others. Because when someone irritatingly tells you to lower your voice, what do we all really do anyway?
"NO, I will not LOWER MY VOICE!"
There is usually a reason why people are loud in the first place.
