Assumptive Conflict

Assumptive Conflict

JAssumptive Conflict
“Our lives are shaped by our interactions with others.   Whether we have a long conversation with a friend or simply place an order in a restaurant, every interaction makes a difference.   The results of our encounters are rarely neutral; they are almost always positive or negative. Although we take these interactions for granted, they accumulate and profoundly affect our lives” (Rath & Clifton 1).   An individual’s perception of an interaction does not develop at the beginning of an interaction with others.   One’s perception begins in the early stages of their life and is refined over time, based on various influences throughout their life, such as their parents, siblings; family, friends and other interactions that they feel are significant.   The way that a person is brought up affects the way in which they view the world.   It is this perception that becomes their idea in the way all things should be.   Their idea of what is normal and proper in the world develops into what they truly believe is normal and proper for everyone.   This assumptive world of the individual, the belief that their perception is the only correct interpretation creates a narcissistic bias that impedes their ability to accept differences between themselves and others, creating a conflict in communication.   As Dean Barnlund asserts in his essay “Communication in a Global Village”, many people would not be able to cope with other cultures due to frictions caused by their perceived differences. In her essay, “From Outside, In”, Barbara Mellix illustrates her perception of what was required in order to be accepted into the world of others.   To further emphasize the impact of an assumptive world of an individual, Amy Tan describes how being raised bicultural has influenced her perception as an adult, in her essay “The Language of Discretion”.   The perception of her Chinese parents wasn’t necessarily her perception as a Chinese-American, because of her...