The Principle of Cooperation

In much of the United States we operate under the principle of cooperation:the assumption that in any communication interaction, both parties will make an effort to help each other understand each other. That is, we assume cooperation. This general principle has four subprinciples or maxims. As you read down the list, ask yourself how you follow these maxims in your everyday conversation:

■The maxim of quality: Say what you know or assume to be true, and do not

say what you know to be false.

■The maxim of relation: Talk about what is relevant to the conversation.

■The maxim of manner: Be clear, avoid ambiguities (as much as possible),

be relatively brief, and organize your thoughts into a meaningful pattern.

■The maxim of quantity: Be as informative as necessary to communicate the

information.

1.Note that this last maxim, of quantity, is frequently violated in e-mail communication.

Cultural Conversational Maxims

Of course, not all of the maxims followed in the United States are the same as maxims that prevail in other parts of the world. Here are three maxims that are especially important in other cultures. Do you follow these maxims as well as those belonging to the principle of cooperation?

■ The maxim of peaceful relations: Keep peace in relationship communication, even to the point of agreeing with someone when you really disagree.

■ The maxim of face-saving: Never embarrass anyone, especially in public. Always allow people to save face, even if this means avoiding the truth – as when you tell someone he or she did good work although the job was actually poorly executed.

■The maxim of self-denigration: Avoid taking credit for accomplishments

and minimize your abilities or talents in conversation.

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