Communication skills are very important as they will help you in your career, family life, school, and your personal life. 

Let’s take a look at what the Anton Chekhov Gun principle can do about this. 

What is the Anton Chekhov Gun principle? 

This principle is mostly used in writing and film production.

This principle suggests that details within a play should contribute to the overall narrative of the play. 

The analogy used in the principle is that of a gun. If a gun is shown in the first act of a play then it should go off in the second or third act of the play. Or perhaps at the end of the play. 

Let’s use a practical example of what the Anton Chekhov Gun principle talks about. 

In the movie, The Seagull that came out in 1896, one of the characters Konstantin is seen carrying a gun onstage at the beginning of the play. This same gun goes off in the concluding act, becoming a key element to the plot.

The significance of the Anton Chekhov Gun principle. 

Chekhov famously said that if there is a rifle onstage in the first act, then it must go off in the second or third act. 

If it’s not going to go off, it’s got no business being present.

The significance of this is allowing every detail to be of some importance to the overall play. No detail of play should not contribute to the play and if there is anyone present then it should be cut out. 

How can this help your communication skills? 

The way I see it, this principle preaches intentionality and mindfulness. 

In the senes that every scene must be unique to the overall plot. 

So when engaging in conversations in either professional or personal setting, you should strive to be more intentional. 

Don’t let any of the words you say be off waste. Think properly before you speak so you are only adding value to the listener. 

A very bad habit that we have all picked up recently in conversations is using filler words. 

It’s equivalent to writing with a lot of fluff, it just doesn’t make the message more meaningful or easy to understand. 

Some classic examples of filler words are uhmmm, like, I mean…etc

These words hinders our communication as they break the message you are trying to pass across. 

And run contradictory to the Anton Chekhov Gun principle as they go not contribute to the overall message. 

Closing Remarks

When speaking and communicating at large, ensure you are more intentional with your words. 

Don’t waste words and further make it hard to connect with other people. 

Be more intentional about what you say.