COLUMN: Every action has a reaction

I don’t believe I’m just making it up when I heard somewhere in science class that every action has an equal or opposite reaction, or something of that nature.

Science isn’t my forte. But, I believe the same saying can be applied to forms of communication.That is why I write. The sole purpose is to put my emotions, even if they’re stupid and sarcastic, into words. I write because it lets me funnel out everything I’m thinking, and then people can give feedback, but sometimes the feedback isn’t a sincerely thought-out message.

A lot of people, myself included, say things they don’t necessarily mean. Typically, these things are instant thoughts and induced off emotion that happens initially without processing any real or well-thought-out feeling.

Saying something without any constructive feedback is pointless. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but why say something out of purely unintelligent background of the subject or situation?

For example, someone once commented on my column saying “quit complaining!” — totally valid thought, but how is that supposed to enhance my future writing or make me a better writer? If you don’t know me, know my situation and you are just simply reading it to complain to me about my first complaints, where is the logic? And isn’t that kind of hypocritical?

I’m a fairly optimistic person, and I love receiving commentary on my writing. I just want people to think about how they react and how it can actually say something about their communication.

If your boyfriend or girlfriend, for example, annoys you, do you say something out of initial frustration? Does that really get you anywhere in the grand scheme of things? I have challenged myself lately to hold back from saying things out of my first thoughts in my head and have tried to take into consideration my surroundings, knowledge of the person and my ultimate goal in the situation.

I love that we have a freedom of speech and are able to communicate freely with others through the way we place our words. But it’s best to keep in mind that your words are controlled by you, and, once you say them, they can’t be taken back.

Every time you say something, there is a reaction initiated by someone else who you have no control over. Thinking about what you want to portray with your words is crucial, and how you say them in context to what else has been said is important.