What is Communication?

Of course we all communicate, but not everyone takes the time to deeply think about it. Most people go along their day to day life without even inquiring about this subject. Do you fall into this category? Have you ever sat down to think about what communication really is? Well, whether you have or haven’t, this post definitely will be of some help defining the term, at least from an opinion based perspective.

Communication in basic terms can be determined as the ability to convey a message, but of course, it’s much more complex than just that. The complexity of the subject can become quite overwhelming, although it wouldn’t seem that way at first glance. The source from which this message is transmitted is irrelevant, at least for now. Communication’s an extremely broad subject present in our day to day life, essentially in every moment, and henceforth it can manifest itself in various forms. Images, verbal or written words, gestures, even sounds, all of these are different forms of communication. 

It’s quite obvious that communication as a mundane element has its informalities, but as a field of study, it’s quite formal. As a complex process it involves an innumerable amount of tools to reach different objectives, but one of the key elements to always have in mind while communicating is the context. This element is essential, in fact it’s so important that most of the time it marks the difference between a successful communication and a failed one. Who am I conveying the message to? What’s going on in their lives? What are their likes and dislikes? All of these are elements that add towards the relevance and importance of the context. 

Normally you wouldn’t think of any of these during your day to day communication process, but when it’s formally implemented, it’s a must. You may be asking yourself, when is communication formally implemented? Well, in one of its many work related areas. The traditional media channels are a great example, even most things you find on the internet, including this post. Areas like advertising, marketing and institutional communication, are also excellent examples of where you can find a formal process (you can read a bit more on these areas here). What do all of these have in common? They’re trying to get a message across. 

Up until now we’ve been referencing communication as a group oriented process, mainly due to the fact that we, as supposedly social beings, are almost obliged to communicate towards others. But, can a communication process be a singular act? If you’re interested in this topic, read further about it here.

Now, returning to the concept of complexity that’s involved in communication, this may be simpler to understand with a dynamic example. Think of it as a salad. This may sound weird at first, but a lettuce only salad is still a salad right? Same thing with communication. The relationship between a sender and receiver is still communication, in its most simplest of forms. Now, if you add elements to your salad, for example chopped onions, tomatoes and maybe even chicken, the essence of the salad is still there, you may call it something a bit different, but it’s essentially still a salad. Again, the same happens with communication, you can add other elements, for example the context and everything it involves (feedback, the source of the message, it’s channel, etc.), but in the end it’s essence is still the conveying of a message. 

How about an example of how the context can influence the process? Let’s say you're given a pen and paper. What would you draw? The possibilities are endless… or maybe they aren’t. If you were told to draw something specific, for example a giant red oak tree, your drawing would be, of course, a giant red oak. During a formal communication process you normally aren’t told explicitly something, therefore this example is merely hypothetical. But let’s say that you weren’t told to draw anything, you’ve got complete free will over your masterpiece, except that you’re a bit hungry, or maybe even sleepy. It’s almost positive that your drawing would turn out to be something related to one of these feelings, an image of some food, or a cozy warm bed. This is much more like how formal communication impacts us. We’re led towards something in an implicit fashion. 

Remember, communication is always present, in any shape or form, it’s always a message, but never an innocent one. Everything has a meaning. And taking into account context is the key for a successful communication.