Yada, Yada, Yada
In Hebrew, one of the possible translations of the word “yada” means “to get to know”. So, I suppose when we say, “Yada, yada, yada…” we are either denoting the fact that we, along with those whom we are addressing, are already familiar with (or “know”) that which it is we are talking about; or perhaps that we are trying, as we speak, to process or “wrap our heads around” (a.k.a. “get to know”) something which we are pondering aloud. And there may even be some other interpretations thereof. Nevertheless, we all could benefit from a lesson or two in the fine social art of communication with our fellow human beings. This, especially in the face of what is referred to in the realms of Philosophy as “Solipsism & the Problem of Other Minds”, ‘tho perhaps deemed redundant (& even futile) by some, is of salient significance in this milieu of “cyber-communication”.
Of course, let us just start off from the beginning by stating that wholesome & beneficial communications can be made only between two parties equally divested in such a goal. To clarify, one person may very well be honed in the art of precise, & wholesome communication, yet find, to their frustration that the “other” person has not yet honed their “listening” skills properly. Or, in the context of written and/or “typed” communication such as most of us must conduct on the Internet from day to day, some very well-spoken individuals may come across another person whose “reading comprehension” is lacking. Moreover, what Communications scholars call “paralinguistics” is also not able to be discerned when one is communicating through a computer keyboard & monitor (unless they’re “Skyping”, etc.). Paralinguistics are those elements of communication such as tone of voice, body language, eye contact, etc. which aid in the full comprehension of not only what another is attempting to express & communicate, but even perhaps what kind of a personality & temperament an individual may have, all of which can facilitate smoother & more fruitful interactions with our fellow human beings.
This is why I find it of extreme importance that we all take it upon ourselves to work at clearer articulation, especially when we “cyber-netting”. Mind you, it is, as with all things concerning the realm of humans, largely a matter of context-in this case, social context-nevertheless, we can all benefit from working to lessen some of the misunderstandings, & even all-out clashes that can arise out of not communicating or listening adeptly to both our own words, and those of others. Of course, as stated above, not every individual is on a similar “wavelength”, if you will, & we must tailor each our own social realms to this reality, but if we become too sacrosanct within our own bubbles of “similar-minded” people, the we miss out on a lot of opportunities for personal growth.
Indeed, some of my own personal revelations & inward triumphs & transformations have been borne from the most unlikely of social “wombs.” I like to challenge myself to step outside of my “comfort zone” because my past experiences have shown me that a lot of unearthed treasure usually lies behind those doors. Therefore, I cultivate broadmindedness, so that I can properly humble myself before the vastness & diversity that is this world, & come to acquaint myself with persons, & experiences which I might not inherently seek out or identify with.
Yet fundamentally, we are all the same organism undergoing each our own levels of development in our own idiosyncratic ways. This is why I don’t feel undue fear about opening myself in this way to the world outside of myself, because I see myself mostly reflected in it more than seeing it as being completely alien to me. And most human beings probably feel the same way that I do. In psychological parlance, at least from the “Jungian” perspective, this achievement of inward & outward synthesis is referred to as “integration.” And I believe this to be essential to the spiritual attunement of each individual’s radar, so that we can first, come to terms with all aspects of ourselves, & thus, offer the same empathy & acceptance to others as well. To play on a phrase, “It begins at home,” or just, “It begins from within.”
Furthermore, in keeping with the subject of the human dialectic, yada, yada, yada, one needn’t be a master wordsmith in order to be able to connect with other people. From my own observations & “field practice”, all it takes is a willingness to humble ourselves before the shrine of self-awareness. Here’s a little syllogism to break what I mean down into more digestible tidbits: I am human. You are human. I understand myself in my own humanity. Therefore, I can understand you in your own humanity. Now, mind you, this is by no means intending to be flippant or facetious. I realize that none of us can identify or even fully understand everything about everyone, including our own selves.
My point is this: Starting from a base of the ways in which we are similar will help us get through the “rough patches” of where we might “clash” or just differ. I personally believe there to be to many complex facets to any human person. Therefore, in the name of expediency & a spirit of unification, we sometimes must simplify things. For example, you might have a different “personality type” than I do, but I guarantee you, if we both work at it, we can find common ground in something simpler, or even in some deeper, more core values & human features. And these lie at the root of the person anyhow, so differences in anything else in comparison should be deemed spurious.
There are different “Temperaments”, there are different “Personality Types”, there are uniquely “solipsistic” phenomena of consciousness such as what we generally refer to as “life experiences” and worldviews. Yet fundamentally, we all share the same genetic “human” characteristics-including those so-called “intangible” elements such as our psychology (philosophically speaking) & our sense of spirituality, or what I like to refer to as our “meta-physiology”.
Thus, no matter what our “socio-economic background”, political affiliation, personality type, temperament, geographical location, ethnicity, let us please be mindful of how we treat our fellow human beings in word & deed. What we do & say to others has a very profound impact-more than we know. What we do unto another, we, in turn, do unto ourselves, & as a certain bard of world renown once quoth: “Slowly doth heal those wounds which men give themselves.” We must remind ourselves in the face of a world which seeks to divide us at every impasse: We’re all in this together. But, need more be said, because…yada, yada, yada.
