Communication has basic characteristics that apply across time and cultures:
Dynamic: how we communicate is constantly changing
Continuous: even when we end a conversation, we are communicating that we have nothing more to say
Circular: rarely one-way, we take in information, determine what it means and respond
Unrepeatable: even if we say something in the exact same way again, our listener has heard it before and so will respond differently
Irreversible: you cannot ‘unsay’ words
Complex: everyone assigns different meanings to words, as a result of different experiences and education, among other factors
Dynamic: how we communicate (i.e. technology, slang) changes all the time
Continuous: we are never not communicating – even when we end a conversation, we are communicating that we have nothing else to say
Circular: almost always more than one person involved and requires back and forth. We take in information, determine what it means and then respond. Then the circle starts again
Unrepeatable: exact same interaction cannot be repeated. Even if we repeat something again in the exact same way, the person listening has heard it before, so might respond differently.
Irreversible: we’ve all been in the position where we wish we hadn’t said or done something. We all know that you cannot ‘unsay’ or ‘undo’ something we’ve done
Complex: although communication is natural for us, it is also very complicated. Everyone has different backgrounds, education and experiences and so they way they interpret something is always unique.