When communicating the metaphors inhaling and exhaling are used to explain the receptive and expressive parts of communication (Stewart, 2009).
Inhaling and exhaling takes place in both verbal and nonverbal communication. “…communicators are always both talking and listening, sending and receiving, giving off u and taking them in…” (Stewart, 2009, p. 37). Inhaling b information is a systematic process in communication that involves the complex lines of perceiving and listening.Because no two people are alike, how one perceives and listens to information when communicating not only varies depending on cultural and environmental influences, religion, etc.
, but how one breaks down the information from start to finish (selection, organizing, inference) can determine what information is/is not important, worldview, etc. These points can be contributing factors to drawing a specific inference.Unlike inhaling, I think that exhaling can allow one to communicate from an interpersonal level, allowing the communicator to be open, expressing themselves by forecasting their uniqueness through ideas and feelings. Exhaling also gives the communicator the power of disclosure. “Open thus can be described as being dependent on self-awareness (S), self-acceptance (A), and trust (T) (O=SAT)” (Stewart, 2009, p. 255).
Furthermore, interpersonal communication is expressed in exhaling through self-disclosure.It is through self-disclosure that one can unveil ones true self through articulating reactions. Articulating ones reactions to a particular issue, situation, or problem that both communicators can relate to opens the door of interpersonal communication, thus allowing one to see past the surface by erasing stereotypes, negative impression, and assumptions. The process of inhaling and exhaling in communication is the bridge to communicating interpersonally and effectively.
