What is Communication?
The Essence of Communication: Sharing Universes
The essence of communication is "sharing universes." The "universe" here refers to the totality of knowledge networks constructed in each person's brain, as discussed in "Intelligence is Knowledge." These knowledge networks include not only facts but also experiences, values, emotions, and patterns of association.
We each possess our own unique "small universe," and through communication, we attempt to share parts of it with others. Using words, expressions, and actions as mediums, the process of conveying our universe to others and trying to understand their universe constitutes the core of communication.
Why Communication Errors Occur
Communication errors primarily occur in two patterns:
- When you know something that others don't
- When others know something that you don't
This is simple but forms the root of many communication troubles. When we continue dialogue without recognizing these knowledge gaps, we fall into incomprehensible states, leading to frustration about "why can't they understand?"
Additionally, the following factors complicate communication:
- Individual differences in meaning: The same word activates different neural networks in different people
- Impossibility of sharing qualia: Subjective experiences like "the sensation of red" cannot be fully conveyed through language
- Experiential differences: Certain experiences (like the pain of childbirth) can only be truly understood by those who have experienced them
- Differences in interpretive frameworks: The same information can be interpreted differently in different contexts
- Self-centeredness: The unconscious assumption that one's own understanding is standard
The Limitations of Language
Language is the primary tool for knowledge sharing, but it is essentially an imperfect translation device. During the process of verbalization, much of the rich connectivity and sensory-emotional aspects of knowledge networks are lost.
Words themselves are part of knowledge networks, and the same word can have different meanings for different people. What the concept of "kindness" refers to, or the image conjured by the word "dog," varies greatly depending on each person's experiences.
Ideally, if two people could completely share their universes, communication itself might become unnecessary—just as information sharing happens instantaneously within one person's brain. However, in reality, each person's universe is formed through lifelong experiences and learning, making it impossible to share everything.
Three Approaches to Better Communication
1. The Possibility of Direct Brain-to-Brain Communication (Distant Future)
An ideal method to overcome the limitations of language would be technology that directly connects brains. If realized, this would allow sharing knowledge while retaining information that is lost in verbalization. Nuances of sensations and emotions, tacit knowledge, and even experiences themselves might become directly transmissible.
However, this technology would also raise issues of privacy and identity. Complete brain-to-brain communication might compromise the uniqueness of individual thought. This remains a distant future possibility, not a realistic approach.
2. Understanding That We Cannot Fully Understand Each Other (Realistic Acceptance)
A realistic approach is accepting that complete mutual understanding is impossible. The recognition that "you and I cannot completely understand each other" becomes the starting point for healthier communication.
From this perspective, the following become important:
- Humility and patience: Engaging in dialogue with the premise that one's ideas cannot be perfectly conveyed
- Value of partial understanding: "Even if we can't understand 99%, it's valuable if we understand 1%"
- Adjusting expectations: Finding joy in gradual progress rather than perfect understanding
This isn't resignation but humility aligned with reality, fostering an attitude that cherishes the areas where mutual understanding is possible.
3. Joint Exploration from Zero (Proactive Approach)
A more proactive approach is to reconceive communication not as "aligning existing knowledge" but as "joint exploration of unknown territories."
Our knowledge is merely a point compared to the whole universe. Starting from the recognition that what we don't know vastly outweighs what we know, a new purpose emerges: "exploring together what we both don't know."
In this approach:
- Gather the limited knowledge and perspectives each person has
- Recognize that there are blank maps yet to be written
- Explore unknown territories together and draw new maps of understanding
- Integrate newly discovered insights into each other's small universes
In this process, differences between individuals aren't problems but resources that bring diverse perspectives. Rather than searching for overlaps in existing knowledge, creating new understanding by jointly exploring new territories leads to insights neither party previously possessed.
The Expansion of Communication
Even my writing of this text is a form of universe sharing—an attempt to verbalize part of my small universe and have it incorporated into readers' small universes.
From a broader perspective, all expressive activities—books, artworks, social media posts—can be seen as "sharing slices of universes." Creators express parts of their small universes, which are then shared, merged, and evolved within the larger universe of society. This circulation of knowledge has supported the development of culture and scholarship.
Ultimately, communication is the sharing of universes. While complete understanding is impossible, recognizing this limitation actually enables more effective communication. Efforts to bridge knowledge gaps, recognizing the limitations of language, accepting that we cannot fully understand each other—these form the foundation, and further hope emerges in joint exploration.
While acknowledging the impossibility of complete understanding, continuing to explore together—that is perhaps the essence of communication.