Thursday, July 3, 2008
Patronizing Speech
I found the section on patronizing speech interesting. Though I'm nowhere near being an old person, I could somehow relate to the examples in this section. I could imagine being old and listening to what people said, but also how they said it, and how it would affect how I felt about myself. I would want to be treated with respect, as the book said, rather than being ordered around (overly directive message) or being coddled (overly nurturing message). When you're not treated with dignity, it affects how you feel about yourself and i can see why lots of seniors get geriatric depression, mentioned towards the end of the chapter. Considering how limited some seniors must feel (because their bodies and minds are not as powerful), it would be very upsetting if people used patronizing speech on a regular basis.
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Hi Foodie,
I also found the section on patronizing speech interesting. I found it interesting, because I personally like overly nurturing speech/patronizing speech at times... of course, my "enjoyment" in being the recipient of such speech is dependent upon the person communicating the message. When an older woman or my mother, for instance, coddle me or act overly nurturing, I find it to be comforting and sweet. I suppose, when in doubt, it's always best to communicate in an affirming sense that is no doubt respectful toward the other individual. (I think all would agree that overly directive messages are rarely constructive).
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