A principle is a general idea that guide our behaviors. There are principles of physics, for example, that guide the understanding of motion and action. There are principles of interpersonal communication that are tied to the axioms or general laws of communication. These are overarching patterns or statements that serve as the underpinning of communication theory.
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Michael Sackrison of the University of Colorado summarizes three principles by Watzlawick, Beavin and Jackson very succinctly. The three principles are:
One cannot not communicate. Everything one does is a message: activity or non-activity; words or silence – they all have message value. If you are in the presence of another person, you can choose not to respond verbally, but your nonverbal cues will sneak out – intentionally or accidentally.
There are both content and relationship aspects to communication. Content refers to the actual subject matter of what is being discussed. The relationship level of a communicative act has to do with how the two communicators view one another and how they convey it. When someone says something to you, we dissect the message: what was said and what do you think of the person who just said it.
Communication is either complementary or symmetrical. We either have some power over another person (complementary) or we are basically equals (symmetrical.) We expect people to use language that matches that perceived relationship. A judge can order us to pay a fine. A coach can demand that we run an extra lap. A friend can suggest a certain restaurant for dinner. Life gets complicated when people use language that does not fit the perceived relationship: If your Area Manager says, “Joe, be sure to pick up the trash in the parking lot before you clock out,” that comment would be expected from a supervisor. Your reaction would be very different, however, if your co-worker had said, “”Joe, be sure to pick up the trash in the parking lot before you clock out.”
Remember that interpersonal communication is a social science … which means that something only has to happen 95% of the time for it to be considered true. That helps us to account for the fact that humans are individuals with the presence of free choice, and unlimited contextual differences that affect our thoughts and behaviors Principles of Communication.
