The Circumstance Factor: Roles, Beliefs and Social Norms

Circumstance as the set of psychosocial factors.

The third and most complex element of context is circumstances.

Unlike time and space, which are more tangible, circumstances refer to the set of psycho-socio-demographic factors that surround an interaction and give it a particular meaning.

This profile includes the mood of the interlocutors, their convictions, their beliefs, their educational level and the way in which they assume their belonging to a group.

These are the intangible conditions that answer the key questions of "what, how, how much and what for" is being communicated.

Ignoring these factors is like trying to interpret a play knowing the script but knowing nothing about the characters or their motivations.

The role we play: teacher, parent, executive, customer

One of the most influential circumstances in the way we communicate is the role or occupation we play at any given time.

We do not communicate in the same way in all aspects of our lives; we adapt our language, tone and formality according to the "hat" we are wearing.

A teacher's communication with a student is inherently different from that of an executive in a negotiation or a parent with his or her child.

Each social role comes with a set of expectations and unwritten scripts that dictate the appropriate way to interact.

Being a competent communicator involves having the flexibility to change register and adapt style to the role that the circumstance demands.

The weight of customs, traditions and moral norms.

Our communication is also deeply subordinated to the web of habits, customs, traditions and moral precepts that dominate our social environment.

These norms, often implicit, act as a powerful regulator of what is considered acceptable or unacceptable communicative behavior.

What in one culture is a sign of respect (such as avoiding direct eye contact), in another may be interpreted as dishonesty.

These social conventions, learned throughout our lives, define the boundaries of our expression and shape our interactions in ways that we often do not even consciously perceive.

Our perception of the world and how it influences what we communicate.

Ultimately, the roles we assume and the social norms we internalize combine to form the most powerful filter of all: our perception of the world and our notion of truth.

Circumstances not only dictate how we speak, but fundamentally shape what we believe to be real, true and worth communicating.

A scientist and a believer, for example, may observe the same natural phenomenon but, because of their circumstances and belief frameworks, will communicate and make sense of it in radically different ways.

Thus, an exceptional communicator is not only aware of his or her own circumstantial filter, but also strives to understand and respect that of the other.

Summary

Circumstances are the set of psychosocial factors surrounding an interaction, such as mood, beliefs, or educational level. They are the intangible conditions that give a particular meaning to communication.

One of the most influential circumstances is the role we play: teacher, parent, executive or client. We adapt our language, tone and formality according to the "hat" we are wearing at any given moment, which requires flexibility.

Our communication is also subject to the customs, traditions and moral precepts of our social environment. These norms, often implicit, act as a powerful regulator of what is considered acceptable or unacceptable communicative behavior.