the efficience of the verbal communication

[poopnoodle]

when communicating orally you really only get one opportunity to put across what you want to say, there isn't time to perfect the arrangement of your words- unless the listener wants to stick around for a long while of tedious, incoherent, rambling attempts to tidy up your syntax (and i imagine within that your point would escape). not everyone has trouble communicating, but for me speaking just seems so fast-paced, i struggle to remember points i want to bring up and i end up misphrasing things in attempts to keep up, and there are times i want to describe scenarios that could only be grasped if i had a projector attached to my forehead. i manage to be affable enough irl, but i prefer to communicate online because i don't feel the same level of pressure as i do in oral conversation.

what about you, what method of communication do you feel most comfortable using? do you feel vocal expression lacks something, that there could be a more efficient way to socialize?

 

[Livewire]

I find verbal communication to be the easiest, because my command of the english language allows me to use pretty upper level words that get my point across easier. If not easier, then it definitely gets my point across in a more elegant fashion.

 

[Stellar]

when communicating orally you really only get one opportunity to put across what you want to say, there isn't time to perfect the arrangement of your words- unless the listener wants to stick around for a long while of tedious, incoherent, rambling attempts to tidy up your syntax (and i imagine within that your point would escape). not everyone has trouble communicating, but for me speaking just seems so fast-paced, i struggle to remember points i want to bring up and i end up misphrasing things in attempts to keep up, and there are times i want to describe scenarios that could only be grasped if i had a projector attached to my forehead. i manage to be affable enough irl, but i prefer to communicate online because i don't feel the same level of pressure as i do in oral conversation.

I'm exactly like you in that sense. Very rarely do I successfully communicate how I feel or think about something to someone when we're standing face-to-face. Online I'm constantly editing my posts and IMs to better express my thoughts, but when it comes to real-time conversations... I'm always stumbling over my words like I don't even know what to say. And you know what's even more frustrating? Sometimes I stage conversations in my head, and every time I can hear myself saying just what needs to be said... but then when it comes down to it, I draw a complete blank. It's like I can't think and speak at the same time. If my mouth is moving, my mind is blank.

Good thing my boyfriend is exactly the same way. We're like awkward cavemen when we're together, it's awesome.

 

[helix]

Speech is so shallow, so 'in the moment', so spontaneous and trivial, that I don't find it good for much beyond discovering things about others and conveying simple messages. Most of the time, I find speech as a superficial form of communication. Not saying I have any problems talking to people, but I don't feel like anyone can really tap into what I'm really feeling or thinking or attempting to express when I talk.
Verbal communication in the form of writing, however... is a channel that could cover more facts and ideas and feelings than an oral conversation. You can go back and check over unsuitable words before you post. You have time to perfect your message.
That's to say, if I had a number and anything meaningful to say, you'd sooner see me texting than ever willingly starting an actual phone call.

 

[Ninja Caterpie]

Speech is so shallow, so 'in the moment', so spontaneous and trivial

That might be one of verbal communication's downsides, but it also happens to be the most wonderful part of it. The spontaneity of it is amazing, sometimes. Most of the time, it's annoying and spontaneous talking gets you nowhere, but there are times talking on the spot works.

 

[Stellar]

That might be one of verbal communication's downsides, but it also happens to be the most wonderful part of it. The spontaneity of it is amazing, sometimes. Most of the time, it's annoying and spontaneous talking gets you nowhere, but there are times talking on the spot works.

You have a point. You have no idea how many inside jokes there are between my friends and I just because one of us happened to say what was on our mind at the wrong time. xD

 

[Kura]

I like verbal @_@ It's just so much.. quicker and easier for me.. and I just love hearing the natural tones of other people's voices.. I find it to be so interesting.. and in a way.. reflect what sort of person they are and their history :33

 

[PlatinumDude]

I prefer verbal communication, though I rarely use it. How you convey the tones you use while you're speaking can make a difference when it comes to trying to state your point.

 

[girliehhhhhh]

The basis of communication is the interaction between people. Verbal communication is one way for people to communicate face-to-face. Some of the key components of verbal communication are sound, words, speaking, and language. The actual origin of language is subject to considerable speculation. Some theorists believe it is an outgrowth of group activities such as working together or dancing. Others believe that language developed from basic sounds and gestures. Through speaking we try to eliminate this misunderstanding, but sometimes this is a very hard thing to do. Just as we assume that our messages are clearly received, so we assume that because something is important to us, it is important to others. As time has proven this is not at all true. Many problems can arise is speaking and the only way to solve these problems is through experience. Speaking can be looked at in two major areas: interpersonal and public speaking. Since the majority of speaking is an interpersonal process, to communicate effectively we must not simply clean up our language, but learn to relate to people. In interpersonal speaking, etiquette is very important. To be an effective communicator one must speak in a manner that is not offending to the receiver. Etiquette also plays an important role in an area that has developed in most all business settings: hierarchical communication. In business today, hierarchical communication is of utmost importance to all members involved. The other major area of speaking is public speaking. From the origin of time, it has been obvious that some people are just better public speakers than others. Because of this, today a good speaker can earn a living by speaking to people in a public setting. Some of the major areas of public speaking are speaking to persuade, speaking to inform, and speaking to inspire or motivate.

 

[Melody]

While I'm not a public speaker, I can usually get my point across fairly well, though some people have told me that I command higher vocabulary too often and that sometimes makes my meaning a bit...hazy. The annoying thing is that I really suck at dumb-ing things down. x3

 

[Rogue planet]

It's true that you can put more effort into making your message perfect with communication via writing, but I actually like the spontaneousness of speech. In a conversation it's still always possible to backtrack on what you said and correct it, so I can't really hold that as a flaw against communication through speech.
Plus you get to hear the tone of voice, which can sometimes be vital in understanding the context of what the person is saying so I think there's actually more room for misinterpretation via writing.

I think the most important factor that makes me prefer communicating face to face is the nonverbal communication aspect; body language, eye contact, facial expressions, hand gestures and actions all help make a conversation so much better and so much more enjoyable. Is it not a lot more fun laughing along with other people, rather than reading something and laughing by yourself with only the sound of your own voice in your ears? I think so. At times you don't even need to speak, actions can sometimes speak so much louder than words.

Communicating via messages seems far too impersonal. It feels like there's always something lacking, like there's still part of the person you have yet to fully understand, or even know about at all. It's just a little too "robotic" and can never quite have the same amount of charm as communicating face to face.

 

[Charizard★]

I find verbal communication to be the easiest, because my command of the english language allows me to use pretty upper level words that get my point across easier. If not easier, then it definitely gets my point across in a more elegant fashion.

^ This.

Verbal communication is the easiest to express.

 

[Amaruuk]

When speaking verbally, there are countless other variables. Intonation is its own language almost, and if in person, there's body language as well. It can give you more ways to get your point across, but if you aren't any good at it, it can give you more ways to muddy up your point and confuse people.

Also, people like me who tend to ramble and go off on tangents can't go back and trim floods of words down to just the important bits if they're spoken and not written. I like the opportunity to self-edit that writing gives. I also prefer writing over speaking in a situation where nerves make it impossible to say what needs to be said clearly and quickly (like trying to talk to a guy you like but schedules do not permit you to have enough time to muster up the guts to eke out a 'hello', let alone say what you want without tripping over it all in a great glorious mess of idiocy).

The self-editing possibility of writing kind of takes away the pure spontaneity that speaking has, though. There are also many things that are really hard to convey with only written words. As a reader, it's easy to misinterpret intentions or tones if all you have to go on is text. As a writer, you gotta think extra to get emotions or even things like sarcasm and joking across if intonation and/or body language aren't on your side, and that can be tedious, even if you do have all day to make your post or note or whatever just right.

All in all, I think both sides have their advantages and disadvantages. I guess it just depends on what suits your words and your situation best.

@Pachy yeah, I do that too. Maybe that's part of why I confuse people? I know that I have a really hard time dumbing anything down 'cause I only understand it the complicated way >.>