Summary

Communication is our superpower. Human beings have developed many ways to communicate with each other. Communication helps us help each other. Communication is the way we stand together. Communication will allow us to be united to solve the problems of our world.

Communication Is Our Superpower

Communicating with another person is a gift and a challenge; a talent and a vulnerability; an opportunity for connection and change. Let’s amble down that path and explore why I believe that communication is our superpower.

What Is Communication

Communication can be defined by looking at its etymology, the origins of the word ‘communicate’. Most sources indicate that the word ‘communicate’ derives from Indo-European words referring to common. ‘Common’ is deemed to originate in prefixes for connecting and the term for duty or occupation. Communication has come to mean the process of sharing information that is common or public knowledge.

For a more in-depth and easily digestible review of the etymology of the word ‘communicate’, check out the website Etymology.net and the post on communication by the site’s founder, Benjamin Veschi:

https://etymology.net/communication/

Human Beings Communicate, for Better or for Worse!

Human communication is the process by which we share information and relay messages to each other. The process involves non-verbal and verbal means. The non-verbal means include body language, emotional valence of our communications, volume and tone of voice, and our emotional state. Yes, how we are feeling inside, consciously or unconsciously, can influence our ability to communicate and the quality of our communications. How we feel inside is distinct from the emotional tone we employ while communicating.

Emotions Affect Communicating

I hear the objections. I just said that our emotional state at the time of communicating affects how we communicate. I also said that the emotional valence of our communications affects how we communicate. Those two statements mean that what we are feeling inside may not be what we are conveying emotionally in our communications.

Imagine a scenario in which a parent is speaking to their child. The child has run up to the parent after school to show the parent something from their school day. Perhaps it is a math quiz result of 90%. Most parents would be very happy with their child having succeeded on a math quiz and even happier to see a 90% grade. The parent who had a rough day at work would focus on the child, correct? The parent would not start yelling at the child or crying and detailing to the child how bad the parent’s day at work had been. Despite feeling tired or angry or sad or any other negative emotion inside, most parents would congratulate the child and show happiness for the child’s success. Hopefully, the child would integrate the positive emotional reward from their parent. This demonstrates that the emotional valence of what we say can be distinct from the emotional state we are experiencing.

Imagine another scenario. You have a boss who is threatened by their employees. The boss always smiles but the smile is not consistent with the message being delivered to their employees. The boss may deny an employee time off and then make a statement about the employee’s performance at work, even though the employee has received a promotion by human resources. All the while, the boss continues to smile, while delivering criticism and denial of the requested time off. In this case, the emotional state of the boss is a bit conflicting with the emotional valence in the boss’s communication. Many of us would detect this discrepancy. The question we may have for ourselves is ‘what is really being communicated to me?’

The latter scenario demonstrates a different type of scenario in which the emotional valence of what is said is not congruent with the emotional state of the person relaying that information. And, sometimes, that incongruence can be dangerous.

Communication Can Be Culturally Dependent

Let me reiterate. Human beings have developed elaborate ways to communicate with each other. We have verbal language. We have non-verbal communication which includes sign language and some universal signs using our hands. We can communicate by expressing emotions on our faces and via our bodies, though these expressions can be dependent on the culture of the person.

Let me give a simple example. It may not be familiar to you. I refer you to a previous post in which I discussed the importance of asking about a person’s story. Were you to be familiar with the stories of the people represented in my example, I would not have to explain this example to you.

Imagine growing up in a land of two solitudes. Some people navigate their way, as best as possible, between the so-called two solitudes, Sometimes the waters are murky. Members of one cultural group tend to express themselves with closer physical proximity to each other whereas members of the other group tend to distance themselves by at least an arm’s length. Tactile contact is common amongst members of the close proximity group. Hand gestures are also employed during communication. Upon greeting each other, members of the close proximity group often engage in hugging and cheek-to-cheek contact. And, on top of these differences between the close proximity and let’s say the distant proximity, non-tactile group, there is a language difference. This is not a fictional story about a fictional place. In the geographical area in question, these differences exist, perhaps less so as time passes. A faux pas can mean social disaster (professionally, for example). Culturally, the groups communicate differently on a number of levels. Communication has been culturally dependent.

The Neuroscience of Communication

I want to segue to the neuroscience of communication before I embark on discussing how incongruence in the emotions outwardly expressed by a person communicating something and the emotional valence of their communications can be dangerous.

Communication Is Critical in Cyber Security

Cyber experts in military settings are experts in the assessment of cyber threats. They have advanced training in understanding cyber issues and in determining, based on their analysis, whether a cyber threat exists or not. They must be self-aware in order to effectively communicate to persons who are not experts in the field and to other experts in the field. Their communications have ramifications down a chain of people with the impact ultimately on policies and strategies to circumvent and address a cyber threat or a cyber attack.

Ask et al (2023) conducted a study on the neural characteristics of cadets which facilitate effective communication about cyber risks. The authors adopted a particular hypothetical model, the Orient, Bridge, Locate (OLB) model, as the premise of their study. The goal was to try to substantiate the veracity of the OLB model. The outcome of their study revealed that cadets with higher vagal tone had better self-awareness, communicated more effectively with members of the team, and maintained a more neutral emotional tone during communications.

In the Orienting phase, the person pays attention to themselves with respect to the situation. In the Locating phase, the person pays attention to the recipient of the information about the current situation. In the Bridging phase, the person combines the information gleaned during the Orienting and Locating phases to decide on how and what to communicate to the recipients.

Let me dissect the neuroscience elements a bit. Vagal tone refers to the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is implicated in regulating our heart and our gastrointestinal tract and connects our brain to some of our internal organs. Think about a time when you felt scared. You may have sensed that your heart was racing. Or you may have had “butterflies” in your “stomach”. That is because of the vagus nerve.

Goal-directed cognitive processes (thoughts) and control over these thoughts are mediated by the Frontoparietal control network (FPN). The Default Mode Network (DMN) is that background network which allows us to perceive our emotional states and internal thoughts that are not goal-directed processes. The Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is the primary centre for the FPN. The Medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) is the primary centre for the DMN.

Vagal tone is mediated by the PFC. The authors used heart rate variability as a proxy (representation, stand-in) for the functioning of the Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the connections between the Frontoparietal cortex (FPC) and the Default Mode Network (DMN). It is a pretty elegant study.

Let me repeat what happens in the final stage of the OLB model. In the Bridging phase, the person combines the information gleaned during the Orienting and Locating phases to decide on how and what to communicate to the recipients.

That is what we should be doing every time we communicate anything to anyone.

Yes, this research study is just the beginning. There is certainly more research to be conducted. We can still apply some of the findings to everyday life.

How?

By learning about ourselves and our connections with the environment, we can control how we interact with our fellow human beings. In the context of cyber security, that can predict success over disaster. The same is true for our personal lives. If we understand ourselves and we try to understand other people, we can manage our actions and aim for success. Communication becomes our superpower.

Communication: When There Is a Discrepancy Between Felt Emotion and Expressed Emotion

I want to return to the discussion about how incongruence in the emotions outwardly expressed by a person communicating something and the emotional valence of their communications can be dangerous.

In the scenario with the insecure boss, the boss smiles and delivers negative criticism to an employee and denies an employee their right to paid time off, despite the fact that human resources has deemed the employee worthy of a promotion. That is like the husband in the film “Gaslight” telling the wife that there is nothing wrong with the gas fueled light fixtures in the home: it is all in her imagination. Gaslighting often elicits the reaction desired by the perpetrator: the recipient starts to question their sanity. That is unhealthy communication.

That is the bullshit we are being fed by Donald’s Administration. The economy is strong. Prices are down. The international reputation of the USA is wonderful. Jobs are being created in outstanding numbers compared to previous administrations. Incomes are increasing for the average person. Housing prices are affordable for everyone. Taxes are down. And the list of bullshit goes on and on and on.

We are being gaslit. Period. End of story. Full stop.

The solution is for US to embrace our superpower: communication.

Summing Up: Communication Is Our Superpower

Communication is our superpower. We are human beings whose differences make us beautiful and interesting. Our differences offer opportunities for growth and learning and cooperation. Who would ignore such opportunities?

People who are self-absorbed will ignore an opportunity. People who blame everyone else will ignore an opportunity. People who choose to stagnate in life will ignore an opportunity. It is a choice, not a very good choice but a choice nevertheless.

That does not mean that the rest of us, the rest of US, must stagnate with them. I choose not to embrace that path in life. I choose hope and I embrace opportunity.

It is important for each of us to be sensitive to the cultural norms of the person with whom we are communicating. We cannot know everything. We can at least try to recognize what we do not know and to ask for guidance and assistance when we do not know about the cultural proclivities of the person with whom we are interacting. That’s common sense and that’s common courtesy.

We can choose to ask about their story. Maybe we will learn how to navigate the murky waters between us if we just ask each other about our stories. It doesn’t hurt to try.

Call to Action: Communication Is Our Superpower

Communication is our superpower. We can achieve anything through communication. We can share ideas. We can share strengths. We can share wealth. We can share resources. We can share progress. We can share comfort and security and stability. We live in the richest country in the history of the world, the United States of America in 2026. We can share our immense and bountiful resources with the world.

Communication is the means by which we can share with our brothers and sisters across the world.

Why should we want to communicate and share? Because we are all human beings.

How do we share? By acting humanely and by communicating.

Self-Awareness and Communication

I believe in the benefit of teaching mindfulness skills for social intelligence and emotional intelligence. The research supports its benefit as well (Greenberg, 2023).

By recognizing how important it is to be grounded and to be self-aware, we can interact with each other for our mutual benefit. We can learn these tools as adults. We can teach these skills to our children. Take a moment to feel your heart beating in your chest. Sense what is going on in your tummy (stomach, gut, belly). Listen to what you hear inside and outside of your body. Focus on the muscles in your neck and back and legs and arms and appraise if they are tense or relaxed. Pay attention to your breathing. Notice if your eyes are dry and if your vision is blurry. Determine your body temperature. Assess if you are hungry or thirsty. And, check in with your emotional state.

Once we gather this information about ourselves, only then should we decide to interact with other people. Interpersonal interactions absolutely require self-awareness and the ability to take the perspective of another person.

We need to undo the upending of social niceties by the current vulgarian in the office of the Presidency of the USA. That behaviour has no place in the White House and has no place in society. Being barbaric is not a model for our children and is not the representation we want on the world stage. But, this is going to take work. Each of us, each of US is tasked to start being inquisitive, kind, and interested in other people and to stop being selfish, mean, and uninvested in the larger world.

I have to confess that I am losing hope for US, for the USA. I see so many people who are cruel, selfish, egotistical, angry, lacking knowledge, and harbouring a host of other ugly characteristics. I just do not want to believe that human beings are inherently corrupted. I want to continue to believe that we can redeem ourselves as a nation of people and as individuals. I try to have conversations with people who disagree with me. I try to listen and end with a closing remark of “I guess we will have to agree to disagree”.

I fear that we will not resolve our differences in a socially acceptable fashion as long as we have a bunch of narcissistic sociopaths in the White House. They are demonstrating the worst behaviours of humankind and those behaviours are being mimicked by leaders across the USA. We are the laughing stock of the world as a result of the vulgar and crass behaviours of our leaders.

Can we at least try to be better than our leaders?

Call to Action: Again, C0mmunication Is Our Superpower

We must behave better than our leaders.

That is my wish. That is my call to action. Start acting humanely. Start behaving like we are civilized. Start asking each other about our stories. If we see each other, if we stop dehumanizing each other, we have a chance to save US.

Forget the sociopaths in leadership roles. Start working with each other to solve wealth inequality and the suffering in the world.

Doesn’t anyone see that the sociopaths in leadership roles want to divide US in order to control US and to steal the riches of the earth?

A tale as old as time. Divide and conquer.

I want to believe that people in the USA and across the world will not fall for their ruse. Because, communication is our superpower.

Immerse yourself in music to inspire you on our quest to save democracy and give peace a chance.

Please give generously to local mutual aid agencies. Your neighbours will thank you.

Disclaimer: The content of this post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your healthcare professional team.

The content of this post includes the personal opinion of the author who is justifiably exercising her First Amendment Right to speak freely, including employing monikers for persons mentioned in the post.

If you are thinking of hurting yourself or of hurting someone else, please CALL 9-1-1; CALL 9-8-8; or GO TO the nearest emergency room.

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Nota Bene:

USA Government websites are being purged by the current Trump Administration to align the website content with the regime’s political agenda. Please note that any government website cited in this and other posts on this website may no longer contain evidence based or historically correct information. Thus, I am trying to avoid including any references or resources which derive from a USA government website. This is not bias; I take this action in an effort to maintain a factually sound content in my posts.