This ‘On nature’s wisdom for humanity’ On Being episode, conversation was so rich, with so many thoughts triggered. This quote got me as it connected with my work (emphasis mine):
So, communication in the natural world is three parts — otherwise, it’s not communication, which is, there’s the signal, and then there’s the translation of the signal that happens, called transduction, into meaning. And then, the third part is action.
So, communication is actually just not the signal, it’s the response. Otherwise, it’s not necessarily considered communication because it didn’t lead to anything, which is a really helpful thing for me to remember, that it’s a circuit, right? It’s not just me saying something out loud and then having nothing happen. It’s part of what that idea has driven my work in terms of not just putting a book out there necessarily, but actually saying, “Okay, now how do we practice it? How do we make it happen in the world? Is there an action at the end of that?”
The other thing is that life really depends on signals blinking, clear and true. So, there is some deception in the natural world, but very little, very little. Cheaters, those who deceive with information — this is what pains me the most right now about the fog of disinformation is how dangerous that is. In the natural world, you will not find much deception in signals, not for long.
Janine Benyus
It’s such a useful framework to remember for communicating well. It’s not just about what you put out there, it’s about how others interpret and then act on it.
It reminds me of how marketing and comms use call to actions to guide copy and design: what do I want someone to do after interacting with this piece of communication? How can I get them to do it?
Or how content and UX design approaches communication with user action in mind: what does this user need to do? How can we help them do that quickly and easily?
It’s the same way Janine explains nature does communication. It’s not just about clear signals, it’s about the response. It’s a three-part circuit.