Fallacies

The fallacies discussion was interesting because I think at one point or another, we have all probably experienced them. The two I related to the most was (1) Obsession with shoulds and (2) Taking responsibility for others. When people communicate to you their problems, it is instinctive to want to offer advice and help. I usually apply shoulds because I think that it is what the person is looking for, playing out alternatives for different outcomes to make them feel better. I can see now that this can take away from approaching the problem in a constructive way. Other fallacy is that of taking responsibility for others. Whenever I have been approached with someone feeling upset or hurt, I try and find areas where I could have done things differently. I am of the mindset that there is always something we could have done differently and that communication happens between two or more people, so I bear just as much responsibility as anyone else. However, I can see from the text that it can have negative feedback when applied incorrectly. It can distract from another person’s responsibility and place guilt on you. It is important to be aware of the fallacies we may approach in our intrapersonal communication. Taking a careful look at our communication with others can help us revise how we communicate with others so that it is more beneficial and constructive for both parties.