The Art of Communication

Language is a funny thing.

Specific vibrations from our vocal chords, travelling through the air in waves before being received and translated into words. Words that can be understood and combined with other words to suddenly create meaning. Words that can then, once understood, be transferred onto paper and translated through our eyes rather than our ears. These words we created can be altered and changed by projecting their vibrating frequency in a slightly different manner: raising the pitch, lengthening the speed. The same could be said for the written word; slant it slightly to the side and as is by magic, emphasis is now placed upon the word. 

However, the exact meaning of one word, can only, almost exclusively, be described by the use of other words. Synonyms, we call them. A word to describe words with similar but slightly different meanings. Not to be confused with the different meanings created through speaking or writing the words in a special way.

This all proves one thing: words are fallible. Using them can create miscommunication, which is a word to describe a misuse of other words, upon which the recipient of said words will incorrectly interpret their intended meaning.

So to reiterate my earlier point: language is a funny thing. Because with these fallible words we created entire languages - a word to describe a specific collection of words which possess rules through which the words can only be combined in a particular manner - through which we communicate to one another. A fallible language, made from fallible words. And not only that, but this particular form of communication is made even more redundant when combined with the fact that the presence of multiple languages means that communication is completely stunted when two or more languages collide. All of the respective languages have their own words which the others lack, and their own rules which, again, the others lack, meaning communication is impossible without knowledge of all the languages. 

To combat this mass miscommunication, a universal language was created. Or, more accurately, discovered. A language that, no matter the words, will not be misunderstood by anyone. This is due to the fact that this universal language actually does not require the presence of a single word, at all, for it's made entirely through 'body language' and specific sound vibrations which don't translate into words. Smiling could represent happiness and grunts could represent displeasure.

Finally. A way everyone can communicate. So you'd think, but in doing so, you'd be thinking wrong. This 'universal language' is also made fallible due to the different and personal meanings attached to certain actions or wordless sounds. Not only that, but in every form of communication there would be people who would purposefully misdirect others using what's thought and assumed to be an easily translatable action, sound, or word. Also known as lying or acting. 

Now things are looking rather hopeless in the eternal search for an infallible form of communication. Is there anything that we can trust unconditionally? Why, if it makes every form of communication that ever exists unreliable, do people actively choose to misuse and manipulate it? This entire essay is written with fallible words, so can it really be trusted? Can anything be trusted? That collection of rhetorical questions was, in fact, what people call an existential crisis. By bringing attention to the fact that this piece of written work on the redundancy of communication is in of itself redundant, means that the very fabric of the art of communication is brought into question and now everything seems treacherous and unnecessarily complicated.

Humanity as a whole is capable of lying, of acting, of maliciously manipulating others using the languages we created since, despite our technological advancement, reading minds is still impossible. The ability to lie is written into the very fabric of our universe. There are, however, some people who would argue that animals - who have so far escaped the curse of advanced evolution that we ourselves have been afflicted with - cannot lie or act, to which I'd simply respond with a description of the manipulative tactics employed by every single domesticated cat in existence. 

In conclusion, there is, to me, only one solution to this issue. Only one way to communicate in which there is no miscommunication between the sender and the receiver. So, the answer to all of our problems? To simply not communicate at all, in the slightest, under any circumstances. It is impossible to miscommunicate that which was never communicated in the first place.

Thank you for reading The Art of Communication - alternatively titled, The Mindset of an Introvert.

Author's Note

Confusing? If so, my apologies for that was not my attention. Also, I'm aware that it is fairly wordy in places, but I liked the irony of that, so decided to leave it.