Reflection #5

ECON 490 LA Prompt for Reflection #5
This is for material in M&R Chapter 5. It is said that actions speak louder than words. Please come up with two examples that illustrate the maxim. In the first example, the person taking the action does so with deliberation and intent. In your example address the question: what makes the action communicate? In the second example, focus on inadvertent communication, where a message is delivered though the sender had not intent in sending it. What makes the message come through nonetheless?

Actions speak louder than words is a maxim I find quite accurate.  An example of actions carried out with deliberation are often found in a workplace environment.  If an intern is just starting their first internship, they will usually take more pro-active actions to show they care greatly for their given opportunity, regardless of their job duties.  Among these pro-active approaches includes arriving to work early, intently observing co-workers to expedite fitting in with the corporate culture, eagerly offering help to others, focusing intently on all assigned work, and staying late at the workplace when necessary.  The subtleties that are attached to these actions signal a sense of responsibility, reliability, commitment, and in some cases passion.  These all work favorably for the intern and may help in securing future employment at the company or obtaining better recommendation letters that aid in other future job hunts. 

However, the unfavorable aspects of actions can be revealed during times of inconsistency.  To illustrate, take the pro-active intern that has been performing well and say he arrives late to work twice in one week.  If the intern calls ahead the first day he's late and explains the situation, there would be action with the intent to preserve the credibility gained through previous pro-active actions.  If there is no call or email in advance on the second day of lateness, the "non-action" could be construed as having a deliberate negative impact on the intern's credibility.  In that sense, perhaps actions can be seen as points on a scale.  Positive, pro-active actions that help someone gain credibility or favor can be counted as "adding points."  Conversely, actions that are detrimental to someone could be counted as "subtracting points."  How the points balance out can, theoretically, determine the impact one's intended actions have on their surroundings.

For inadvertent communication through actions, I can relate to it through a classical musician's standpoint.  Throughout high school, I had played the cello and was heavily involved in various orchestras.  Among those, the one with the highest difficulty was the IMEA All-State orchestra, which auditioned string instrument players throughout the entire state of Illinois and selected the best.  The repertoire required for the auditions are given around the beginning of the school term, and the All-State audition occurred toward the end of the semester.  Thus, there is time to prepare for the auditions, but students are also busy with other tasks besides practicing constantly.  Ultimately, months of preparation culminates into one 10 minute audition in front of 4 judges.  In that moment, all musicians give inadvertent information through their auditions - it is unavoidable since there is no way to hide it.  Some may reassure themselves mentally, but can indirectly give off a nervous vibe before auditions.  When I was nervous, it showed when greeting the judges with handshakes through my shaky and clammy hands.  During the brief audition, a musician's performance inadvertently shows many intangibles about the musician.  An obvious point is how much time a musician has spent practicing and preparing for the audition.  Someone who has practiced 10 hours a week is clearly different from someone who has practiced 40 hours a week - the difference in time spent cannot be made up and shows clearly in performances.  Throughout my actual audition, there are indirect signs gleaned from my performance that result from an accumulation of factors.  Depending on how I finish a musical phrase, accent certain notes, or use vibrato, the judges can determine my musical style, my interpretation, and my passion for the music. 

Overall, I think the commonalities between deliberate actions and inadvertent actions boil down to the subtleties included in the actions.  If we think of it in terms of layers, actions can have 2 layers.  There is a surface layer, which is the actual action being performed and can be classified as a deliberate action.  The second layer can be considered the inadvertent communications that are associated with the surface layer action.  Both layers have subtlety so there is a balance in either case.  For a deliberate action, there are indirect meanings that can go along with the action.  Inadvertent communication can result from the indirect consequences of a direct action.  In the end, it's easier to control direct and intended actions, but with some forethought, indirect actions can also be controlled.