I consider myself a communication enthusiast.
This might seem intuitive, given my background. My bachelor’s degree is in communications. I spent nearly three years as a TV news producer. I’ve shared my thoughts for years on Words of the West.
Yet, my passion for communication goes far deeper.
I am fascinated by languages. I learned Spanish in school, and I do my best to stay proficient in it. I also enjoy listening to languages I don’t speak — Italian, French, German, Japanese, Chinese — and picking up on the different patterns between tongues.
I enjoy web coding. I’ve become ensconced with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The ability to change the look and feel of an online asset with a set of keystrokes is as fascinating as it is terrifying.
And I enjoy numbers. I consider the ability to solve problems and make predictions using a universal ruleset to be eye opening. And the impact these actions have had on our understanding of the world continues to inspire me.
Language. Web code. Numbers.
These seem to be a diverging diaspora at first. A set of interests that stray further and further from my passion for the written word.
And yet, I feel they are intrinsically linked.
You see, I view all of these disciplines as communication subsets. While each subset has its own context, they share a common purpose.
Language, web coding and numbers all serve as information transfer protocols. They all represent actions that lead to intended responses.
One can speak numbers just as well as one can speak with prose. And the impact of sharing this information can be just as profound.
Yet, these talents are not universal. We don’t have the innate ability to understand language, code websites or solve algebra problems.
Such abilities must be learned. We must put in hours upon hours of practice to gain proficiency.
This is no easy task. It’s rife with false starts, growing pains and frustration.
But when we attain mastery, we enter an exclusive club. We gain the ability to share information with others who are just as proficient. And we can use these powers to connect, collaborate and achieve.
This is the holy grail of communication.
It’s the backbone of human development. The neural network that drives innovation. The key to unlock that which has long been beyond our comprehension.
Communication, in all its forms, is essential to success. Albert Einstein couldn’t have shared the theory of relativity without the vehicle of math. Google and Amazon couldn’t have changed the way we search and shop without a code standard in place.
Yes, it can be frustrating that the protocols are scattered. That Portuguese is incompatible with Korean. That HTML code is different than algebraic expressions.
But those divisions can be a blessing in disguise.
They allow for context-specific innovation. Innovation that is first incubated within a particular culture or area of expertise. Innovation that can only be shared outside of these circles with those who make the effort to learn the underlying protocols.
I believe this arrangement allows for greater diversity of thought. I believe it provides for a wider expansion of ideas than would be possible if everything was under one unifying code.
And for the intellectually curious, this arrangement ignites the passion to keep exploring. To learn, grow and discover.
These benefits overshadow the inconveniences of the communication diaspora. They underline both a common truth, and a call to action.
Communication, in all its contexts, is worth understanding.
Let’s expand our horizons.