Communication: a Way to be Constantly Present

Future shock is experienced by anyone who is not mentally and emotionally present as new ideas evolve. Laymen are more likely than engineers to be shocked by technology that has developed without their notice. But all people are subject to the shock of co-workers, friends, and family who change without our notice. When the changes are finally noted, the result is too often misunderstanding, withdrawal, or hostility. Such “shock” can be tempered by communication. Communication is defined here as the process of being genuinely present with each other through better perception, listening, language, nonverbal communication, and self-disclosure.