3.5 Explain how language helps create supportive or defensive communication climates.

Supportive communication creates a climate of trust, caring, and acceptance; defensive communication creates a climate of hostility and mistrust. Two uses of language that breed hostility and mistrust are (1) polarization, which occurs when people describe things in extremes or opposites, as though there were no middle ground, and

(2) trigger words, which are forms of language that trigger our emotions, in both positive and negative directions.

Here are six tips for developing a supportive communication climate:

• Describe your own feelings rather than evaluate others;

• Solve problems rather than control others;

• Empathize rather than remain detached from others;

• Be flexible rather than rigid toward others;

• Present yourself as equal rather than superior; and

• Stick to the present situation and avoid gunny-sacking

(dredging up past mistakes, problems, and issues).