iExamen 2

            I did the iExamen 2 last Sunday October 30.  I chose to do it on Sunday because it would be easier to focus on the assignment without the distractions of classes and meetings.  Going into the assignment, I didn’t think I would notice much of a difference from my normal way of communicating; however, there was definitely a noticeable difference.  I’ve learned that being kind, useful, and true in all forms of communication isn’t as easy as it seems.  Through this assignment I’ve learned that sometimes the things I say to others don’t always fit these three criteria.  Being kind all the time is tough.

            I’ve always known that I’ve had somewhat of a dark sense of humor, but this assignment really brought the problem to light.  I found that my usual way of being funny didn’t work.  It wasn’t that I had trouble being kind because you can still poke fun without being mean spirited.  However, it is hard to be kind without being overly nice.  When I consciously try to be kind it just comes off as being fake nice.  I’m not sure why, but I find I easier to be kind if I don’t think about it.  I think that being kind and useful should come naturally, I mean if you’re being kind just because it’s what’s expected then it doesn’t really count. 

            I found that I often had to restrain myself with how I communicated in order to conform to the criteria of being kind, useful, and true.  I have a bad habit of coming off as crass and condescending with others.  I think my problem is that I don’t take the time to consider the best way to say what I’m thinking.  This assignment definitely helped me to consider how others would interpret what I want to say.  I found that as long as I took the time to think about what I want to say, then it would be much kinder that if I just spat out my thoughts like I’m used to doing.  Overall, I think the assignment helped me learn to think about how my communication affects others.