The American public fulfilled one of its major obligations earlier this
month; that was, of course, voting in the presidential election. This
obligation was, in effect, an act of communication. As you’ve probably seen,
everyone who has an opinion on the election and why things turned out the way
they did has likely given that opinion.
Historians will look at this simple act of voting—played out person by
person across the country—as probably one of the biggest statements ever made
by the American public to its national political leaders. Another observation
from the election is that when one doesn’t communicate, which was done by those
people who did not vote, there will be implications. These post-election
observations are useful to us in our day-to-day lives; more on that later.
Of those who voted in this month’s divisive election, about half of us
voted for one major candidate and half voted for the other; but all registered
voters had the opportunity to vote. So what is interesting is that many people
belonging to crucial categories who were expected to vote either did not vote
at all, or they voted for the candidate they were least expected to support.
My point in all of this is not to gloat or despair, and it’s certainly
not to spend any more of my mental energy thinking about politics. Today, the
primary observation I want to make is that communication is probably the most
important thing we do in all aspects of our lives. If we do it well, we increase
the likelihood of a good outcome; do it badly, then look out.
As I mentioned last month, the candidates over-communicated to us, and
they clearly staked out their positions on policy and many trivial matters—and look
what happened. They wore us out, but they also engaged the nation in debate,
polarized friends against friends, and solidified their support across the
nation. As a result, the candidates successfully communicated their messages,
and I would suggest that the winning candidate was more successful in
communicating what he wanted America to hear.
I write this blog while hovering around that sometimes-vague
intersection of communication and grammar. Sometimes I find a connection for us
to see, and sometimes I don’t.
In the election, there was a connection that needs to be mentioned. For
ourselves, we know that if we communicate well while following simple truths in
grammar, other people will understand us and our messages. Each of the
candidates (in general) communicated clearly and explicitly about themselves
and their proposed policies, they propagated incredible opinions (some true and
some untrue) about their opponent, and they convinced millions of voters to
believe in them and what they were all about. In the end, one candidate succeeded
while the other one did not. One candidate’s messages got through to a broader
spectrum of recipients while the other’s messages came up short. Yet still, the
process of communication worked.
Were the two candidates perfect in everything they did? Oh no. They
each had many personal and political missteps that will take historians years
to examine. What was interesting is that although the candidates made mistakes
in what they were doing, they did not stop what they were doing. They got up
the next day, addressed their mistakes (sometimes—not always), and kept on
going.
It is that attitude and willpower that we must have as we go through
our lives. A get-back-on-the-horse mentality is crucial in the context of
communication, grammar, and all else that we do. A mistake does not define us
unless we let it do so, so please find some solace each day in the truism that
none of us is perfect. And if we make a communication faux pas, it’s not the end of the world. It is simply an
opportunity to make a correction to ensure a better outcome. Then we learn and
get better.
I feel for you in this post-election confusion and amazement, and I
hope that you will accept what you can and keep moving forward with your own
lives within the context of our new national leadership.
Have a great December, send me your questions,
and please bookmark my blog for easy reference.
https://www.twitter.com/randallponder @randallponder
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