Intra-Personal Communication

 Soft Skills : Personality Development 

Intra-Personal Communication 

Introduction

The basic function of a person is communicating with self that involves thinking, analysing, interpreting, assessing, contemplating, feeling, etc., is termed as intra personal communication. It deals immensely with the emotions of a person which is never known to the people who are sitting along with him. This is quite different from interpersonal communication, as it’s completely invisible.

Intra personal communication is one that person has with her/his own self. The communication that occurs in one's mind.

Intra personal communication basically takes place in mind as the conversation of a person is with self. This is commonly known as self-talk as here both the sender and receiver of a message are the same person. Subconsciously many ideas and thoughts are passing through the mind, an attempt to understand them is also a vital aspect of intra personal communication.

Intra personal communication can include:

• Day-dreaming 

• Nocturnal dreaming, including lucid dreaming

• Speaking aloud (talking to oneself). reading aloud, repeating what one hears as well as the additional  activities of speaking and hearing. 

• Internal monologue, the semi-constant internal monologue one has with oneself at a conscious or semi-conscious level.

• Writing one's thoughts or observations by hand, or with a word processor. It also includes additional activities. They are on top of thinking, writing and reading back may again increase self understanding and concentration. It aids ordering one's thoughts. In addition, it produces a record that can be used later again. Copying text to aid memorizing also falls in this category.

• Doodling also falls into this category. Children may be communicating intra personally when they doodle.

• Making gestures while thinking: the additional activities of body motions. 

• Sense-making e.g. interpreting maps, texts, signs, and symbols

• Interpreting non-verbal communication, e.g. gestures, eye contact Communication between body parts; e.g. "My stomach is telling me it's time for lunch."

Types of Intra Personal Communication

Basically intra personal communication can be divided into two parts:

(i) Spoken Words 

(ii) Interpretation of Gestures

(i) Spoken Words:

When an individual talks to himself about his own issues or those of others it is considered as his own communication. If it is spoken loudly it may be heard by others. For example, a child may say, "My stomach is hungry for cookies." if it is silent, others would not know about it.

(ii) Interpretation of Gestures 

In this case different movements of the body speak out instead of words. In other words feelings, emotions and sensations get communicated through body movements as well as gestures. For example, during a singing concert the audience claps repeatedly. It means that they are appreciating performance. 

Advantages/benefits of Intra Personal Communication 

An individual communicating with oneself derives some benefits, most notable of them are mentioned below.

1) Avoiding Silence

2) Increasing Concentration

3) Developing Power

4) Elimination of Negativity 

5) Increasing Self Confidence & Morale

6) Healthiness in Environment

7) Increasing Goodwill and more easy achievements of goals 

1)Avoiding Silence

It is believed by some experts that total silence by itself can cause disturbance. Joseph Jordania suggests that talking to yourself can be used to avoid silence.  According to Jordania, talking to yourself is only one of the ways to fill in prolonged gaps of silence in humans. Other ways of filling in prolonged silence are humming, whistling, finger drumming, or having TV, radio or music on all the time.

2) Increasing Concentration

It is not at all difficult to recognize and listen to the voices of others. But it is only through practice that we tend to absorb our own voice. By paying attention, we recognize it. The saints used to call it meditation. However, this listing has the potential of solving our difficulties. Then our concentration gets sharper. It can be a tool to face the hurdles in our path and remove them.

3) Developing Power

Self communicating develops our power to communicate with the outside world too. Since it eliminates our fears, we gain more confidence in ourselves and as result we begin to control and dominate over the

external world to our advantage.

4) Elimination of Negativity

While talking to ourselves, self-evaluation goes on. We go for relative weighing of our positive and negative sides. As one cultivates this habits, he comes to know of the positive sides of his personality. That helps him be positive in every task that he undertakes.

5) Increasing Self-confidence & Boosting Morale

When one is fully aware of his potential, he becomes more positive and also changes his perspective to life. His happiness becomes infectious and makes others happy Cosequenty, he has a higher morale and he moves towards attainment of success.

6)  Healthiness in the Environment

A person at peace and happiness with himself will spread the same in the environment around him. He will be open to opinions of others and a healthy discussion on anything. He will develop generosity and a attitude of being helpful to others. He will avoid conflict and lead to the creation of healthiness in the environment.

7) Increasing Goodwill and more Easy Achievement of Goals

The said kind of person will build up goodwill. As against rudeness he will command politeness. As against aggressiveness he will possess the attitude of standing by the side of others. It is obvious that he will have better cooperation from others. That in turn will make attainment of goals easier for him.