Discussion Post

Personal concepts entail the combination of beliefs, perceptions, and judgments that every person holds about themselves, and they highly influence the communication process (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). Both self-concept and communication have a number of aspects that include not only the ways in which individuals represent themselves but also how people interpret other people's messages as well as social interactions. The essay examines how the comprehensive concept of oneself influences communication.

Self-concept acts as a reflection that determines, to a great extent, how people see their communications. Individuals often select a limited amount of information that is consistent with their existing self-model while searching out alternate feedback that does not fit this pattern (Jhangiani & Tarry, 2022). For example, self-esteem level might make a person who obviously values himself interpret ambiguity in a positive way that reinforces their self-assessment. This means that somebody who is very shy may relate it to the negative feedback that reinforces their insecurity. Further, people often impose their self-image onto others, interpreting the other person's actions according to the attributes and motives they know of about themselves, thus generating a mental image of others' communication (Araiza & Freitas, 2019).

Self-concept also influences self-disclosure, which is the revealing of private information to others (Araiza & Freitas, 2019). In this way, it impacts the communication process. Those who have a positive view of themselves are more likely to take part in self-disclosure, for they have no problems disclosing as people of interest to them aspects of themselves. On the contrary, a person who has a negative self-appraisal may give out little or fake information deliberately or show self-protecting behaviors to avoid being rejected or having their personality judged. Therefore, self-disclosure, being a pattern in communication, reflects the identity of an individual, which is precisely the perception that makes relationships distinguishable as some may become intimate and deep while others remain superficial and distant.

Also, self-concept affects communication through one's way of self-presentation. The swiftness of self-representation in people as they communicate with others involves directs being very particular (Siljanovsk & Stojcevska, 2018). People who are concerned with maintaining appearance may highlight specific aspects of their self-conception and pass away some of them based on the context and the audience. For instance, a candidate for a job may tell about their ability to cope with a particular job and personal merits in an interview, staining the same style of speech with professional competence. However, they may seek to portray themselves as sociable and funny in the regular social circle setting, which makes it easier for them to fit in with others.

Self-concept is a powerful tool in communication since it brings assertiveness and communication style together (Moss et al., 2021). In other words, people will feel stronger about themselves and more likely to speak their essence, feelings, and needs, confident that no matter what, they will find a way to communicate efficiently and represent their interests. While confident individuals may be more assertive and confront rejection and conflict with great ease, those with less certain or unstable self-concepts might display low self-esteem and may resign themselves to rejection and conflict. Thus, different communication styles differ according to people's self-concepts, which could range from assertive and direct to passive or aggressive. These will affect the effectiveness and outcomes of interpersonal interactions.

Conclusively, self-concept has a significant effect on communication, as it changes the way people think and act in different social situations. Individuals have a better understanding of the intricate relationship between self-concept and communication; therefore, they can develop themselves in terms of self-reflection, adaptability, and effectiveness in interpersonal interactions, which leads to stronger relationships and more effective communication.