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%COMMUNICATION MESSAGE ELICIT ATTITUDE HABIT EFFECT 890425

     Each  communication,   verbal  or  non-verbal,   upon
reception  engenders  some response.  The  effect  of  the
communication  depends  as much upon the response  of  the
recipient as upon the intention of the source.

     The   content   of  a communication  is   not   fully
defined by the sender.  The meaning of each  communication
is defined by the recipient as much as by the sender.   It
is  futile  to  pretend that the sender has the  power  to
fully define the meaning of a communication.  It is futile
to  contend that the recipient should honor the unilateral
intent  of  the  sender;   for such  a  contention  grants
excessive power to the sender,  and deprives the recipient
of appropriate power to participate equally in dialogue.

     The   effect   of  communication  depends  upon   all
participants   in   communication.    The  sender   of   a
communication  has  responsibility  to  be  sensitive   to
possible  interpretations by recipients,   and  recipients
have responsibility to be sensitive to possible intentions
of senders.

     The  effect  of  a  technical  communication  between
people goes beyond the conveyance of technical information
from  sender to recipient.  The people who are senders and
recipients   are   not  just   containers   of   technical
information  in  the  manner  of  a  computer  information
retrieval  system.   The reflexive responses of people  to
technical information-communications pertain to habits  of
mind/heart, attitudes, values, ideals, goals, etc. To send
a  technical  communication implies  something  about  the
value  of  the  information content;   the  sending  is  a
valuative  affirmation  by virtue of the time  devoted  to
sending it.

     The  behavior  of technocrats  engaged  in  technical
communications is not value neutral behavior. By virtue of
their  spending  their limited time engaged  in  technical
communications,   they are making  valuative  affirmations
regarding  the  information upon which they seek to  focus
other   people's   attention.    The   effect   of   their
communication  has  as  much  to  do  with  the  valuative
affirmations  entailed  therein,  as  with  the  technical
content  which  is the overt focus of  the  communication.
Values  have to do with the dedication of scarce resources
to  the  affirmation of chosen purposes.  Human time is  a
scarce resource.  The dedication of human time to focusing
upon  technical communications is guided by some  implicit
value  system  which  is affirmed  through  the  technical
communications  which technically competent people  choose
to participate in.

     Technically   oriented   professors,   teachers   and
students are participants in a process of transmission  of
technical    values   by   virtue   of   which   technical
communications  are  chosen as the foci  of  their  lives.
Those who have the most power to determine what those foci
shall be are leaders in the development of a  technocratic
society  if  they  fail  to help  the  new  generation  to
recognize  and  critically appraise the values  which  are
affirmed,  in contrast to complementary other values which
might  more  appropriately be affirmed  in  more  balanced
ways.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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