Authentic communication

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Authentic communication is a term from communication science . Authentic here means that the communication in a conversation is not determined by external influences on the communicating person, but comes solely from the person himself.

Use of terms

The term authentic communication is used in communication studies by Paul Watzlawick and Friedemann Schulz von Thun , in conversation psychotherapy according to Carl Rogers , in gestalt therapy according to Fritz Perls or in the psychodrama by Jacob Moreno as well as in the management principles of companies.

The image of man

The representatives of humanistic psychology , such as Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow , Charlotte Bühler or Ruth Cohn , paint a mostly optimistic picture of humans: humans are naturally good and have the ability to develop their personality. This is the prerequisite for improving interpersonal relationships and social conditions. Humanistic psychology emphasizes emotionality. For Carl Rogers, that means verbalizing feelings . In this context, communication scientists speak of I-messages or I-statements , such as: "I am disappointed, I am angry, I am happy that you made it". According to communication scientist Friedemann Schulz von Thun, this is based on the desire for honest interpersonal relationships, combined with the willingness and ability to express oneself authentically.

Central terms

According to Carl Rogers, the founder of conversation psychotherapy, being genuine is part of the basic attitude, along with empathic understanding and appreciation , which is conducive to communication and has a positive influence on interpersonal relationships. Carl Rogers speaks of congruence and means the correspondence between the three areas: What I feel (experience), what I become aware of (awareness) and what I communicate about it (communication). Congruence often contradicts reality. People would have to live with their tensions and contradictions, even if they sometimes longed for more congruence. That is what makes a life colorful and exciting.

Ruth Cohn, the founder of Theme-Centered Interaction , is - when it comes to openness - more cautious than Rogers: she speaks of selective authenticity . "I don't want to say everything that is real, but what I say should be real."

criticism

The American writer and Nobel Prize winner Saul Bellow criticizes this attitude in his novel Humboldt's Legacy :

“As I made my living writing strangers' personal memories, I discovered that no American had ever made a real mistake, no one sinned, or had only one thing to hide; There were no liars. The method used is cover-up through openness in order to guarantee duplicity in honor. "

- Saul Bellow : Humboldt's Legacy.

Accordingly, it seems to be certain for Bellow: The longing for the real, the unadulterated remains.

literature

  • Ruth Cohn: From Psychoanalysis to Topic-Centered Interaction . Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2009.
  • Carl Rogers: The client-centered conversation psychotherapy . Fischer, Frankfurt 1983.
  • Friedemann Schulz von Thun: Talking to each other . 3 volumes, Rowohlt, Reinbek 2007.
  • Paul Watzlawik, Friedemann Schulz von Thun, Trude Trunk: You can't not communicate . Huber, Bern 2011.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Reinhold Stipsits: Back light. Studies on the work of Carl R. Rogers (1902-1987) . WUV Universitätsverlag, 1999, ISBN 978-3-85-114440-6 , p. 79 f.
  2. ↑ Ruth C. Cohn: From Psychoanalysis to Topic-Centered Interaction . Klett, Stuttgart 1975, p. 123 ff.
  3. ↑ Friedemann Schulz von Thun: Talking to each other 3. The inner team and situation-appropriate communication . Reinbek bei Hamburg 1998, p. 13 ff., P. 306 ff; F. Schulz von Thun, J. Ruppel, R. Stratmann: Talking to one another. Communication psychology for executives . Reinbek near Hamburg 2000/2003, p. 27 ff.
  4. ↑ C. George Boeree: Personality Theories . Carl Rogers. (PDF; 180 kB) p. 10 , accessed on October 28, 2016 (Copyright 1998, 2006).
  5. ↑ Carl Rogers: Development of Personality . 14th edition Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2009, p. 47.
  6. ↑ Interview 1979, cit. n. Friedemann Schulz von Thun: Talking to one another. 1. Disruptions and clarifications . Rowohlt, Hamburg 2005, p. 120.