There are many ways of communicating our feelings and thoughts. Some are more effective than others depending on the situation that we have to face in life. Here are the following aids that can help us communicate better: visual, written and oral. Also there is body language which is they way we display what we are to other people. This is not an exact art as mannerisms/body language can be easily misinterpreted.

VISUAL: This can be in the form of pictures, charts, diagrams or symbols. It can be expressed in a formal or informal manner. It can be used on a individual basis or in groups of people.

WRITTEN: This can be handwritten, typed, data from a computer, text messages from a mobile, or via a email via a digibox. This can be used either in work, training or personal situations.

ORAL: This can be recorded, spoken directly to the person or over a telephone or mobile. The tone of our voice whether it is loud or soft and the type of language that we use can convey whether we are angry, happy, sad or bored. The disadvantage of using the visual and written mediums it can not fully express our emotions to a person directly. One thing that has happened is that people can now input data on a computer using their voice but that is very limited and then the computer has to be programmed to recognise your voice patterns.

First impressions cannot really be a true indicator of the person's personality. This is shown very well in the novel Pride and Prejudice where the hero Mr Darcy is seen as a very proud, uncaring and arrogant man but at the end of the story it is only through various circumstances does his true personality show through. This story would have probably have taken over a large period of time, perhaps months or years. The heroine Miss Bennet was easily fooled by someone elses impression of Mr Darcy and it influenced they way she thought of him.

Cultural differences in body language also make a great difference. The same type of posture or mannerism can be either taken for an insult or a compliment depending on what country you are in.