Philosophy of Communication

I touched on this topic briefly in an earlier post talking about the stories we tell ourselves. This post is a short expansion on some of the principles illustrated in that article.


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Psychology has found people tend to fall into one of three primary ways of processing information: visual, kinesthetic and auditory. Thinking may be in pictures, feeling and physical sensations, or language and sounds. As individuals, we may use more than one of these ways, but typically we each have one that predominates. We perceive reality and conceive thoughts primarily through one of these three modes. It is the means by which we construct in our heads a model of the world. It impacts how we learn, how we create and how we communicate.

Most of what we call Wester Civilization is passed down through just one of these mechanisms: the auditory channel. This is done through oral histories and these abstract symbols called letters and numbers. They are often supplemented by diagrams and drawings, but the primary content is via words. Spoken and written language is the main way information is passed from individual to individual.

Taking these two things together, communication involves converting a rich internal model, in any one of three ways of thinking, into words and transmitting those words to someone else via some mechanism. That mechanism may be voice or hand written or printed or a blog. Then someone has to take those words and convert them to their own internal model, possibly using a different mode of thought than the first person.

In this process, the originator may very well have to take a concept that they feel or visualize and convert it to words. These words have multiple and varied meanings which overlap with different words and their subtle shades of meaning. The speaker (or writer) goes through a process to select what they believe to be the appropriate words to convey their internal model. This is an act of interpretation. The hearer (or reader) then takes those words, with possibly a different set of meanings and tries to construct their own mental model in possibly a different way of thinking. This is also an interpretive act.

There are many things that impact the way individuals may interpret words on both sides of the conversation. A few of the things that may impact it are: different social, economic and cultural backgrounds, different native languages, current emotional state, educational background, political and religious beliefs, time in history and intentional duplicity.

When I think about what goes on in this process, I'm amazed anything resembling communication happens at all.

Why war against the King of Kings?

During my read through Revelation over the last year, one of the things that has never really made sense to me in this book is the mindset of those who war against God. I've always pondered, "who do they think they are?" I mean things that have never happened before in history are happening. Cataclysmic judgment is falling around them, they know He caused it, and yet they don't repent and turn to Him for salvation.^[1]

In one of the last scenes, the armies of all nations on the planet are arrayed against the King of all Kings. Up to this point, there have been all sorts of incredible signs that the end is near and they need to repent. Finally, the sky has split open and Jesus has come down from heaven.

Stop. Think about this. There is no special effects team creating this in some movie software and putting it on the screen. This is here and now reality. The One who created the universe in all its intricate detail, majestic beauty and awesome power stands in front of them. Yet they doggedly persist in rebellion. How can they? Do they not see they are doomed? And then it hit me, I'm looking at this in too limited a context. I have to back up a bit and get a bigger picture.

There's a significant part of our society that denies the spiritual. They say there is no God. They think they find naturalistic explanations for things that scripture clearly explains God caused. Within this context of discrediting anything their concept of science cannot support, the Anti-Christ and his false prophet make their appearance with demonstrable signs of supernatural power. Their abilities fill an vacuum created by society's refusal of the unearthly. With nothing to compare to, their power seems large, mighty and overwhelming. However, in reality, when compared to Jesus power, they are so insignificant as to not matter.

So, in the end, because of their prejudice, as Revelation says^[2], the Anti-Christ deceived them. They cannot see that the one they follow who they think has enormous power is a mere slave when compared to the King. They thought they were wise in denying that God created the universe. They thought in their wisdom they found natural reasons for things that, without their blinders of preconception, are obviously from the Creator. This reliance on their own understanding opened them to being deceived and played the fool and ultimately their destruction.^[3]

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1. Revelation 6:16, Revelation 9:20, Revelation 9:21, Revelation 16:9, Revelation 16:11

2. Revelation 19:20

3. Romans 1:18-32

A Tale of Two Neighbors

Three years ago, Jim and John moved into new houses next door to each other. They were both in their early thirties about five to seven years into their careers. Since college, they'd seen their incomes double. They'd paid off most of their college debt, their cars only had another year of payments and they'd put some money aside. They felt they were in great financial shape and ready to take on the challenge of home ownership.

Following the trend, they both got the most house they could afford using no-down, low-interest, adjustable rate mortgages with the payments around 35% of their take home pay. The budget was tight, but they were living the dream of new home ownership. With the clearing of their other debts in a year or so and continued increases in their pay, they'd get some breathing room soon. With the hot housing market they anticipated good appreciation; in a couple years they'd have six figures of assets and the payment would be down around 25% of their income. They could tighten their belts for a couple years for that kind of payoff.

Six months later, they found themselves with more debt. New homes required finishing inside and out. Landscaping was installed. Since they'd had apartments before, they needed yard tools to maintain the yard. Inside the windows needed to be covered and appliances installed in the laundry room and kitchen. The old apartment furniture was out of place in a shiny new house and needed to be replaced. This was all just part of normal start-up costs they reasoned, a couple years and it'd all be paid off. In any case, the houses had appreciated 5% already; the equity already covered the new debt.

A year later, John's company was going through tough times and he was told there would be no raises this year. This was better than Jim; his company closed its doors and he was scrambling for another job. He found one after only one month of putting living expenses on credit cards. In this time, the houses appreciated another 2%. Not the super hot market just before they bought, but at least it was something.

Fast forward to the present. John has received a 3% raise since buying the house. Jim has changed jobs twice, each time getting a little more pay, but deficit financing the jobless months. The house payments are still 35% of their take home pay. The cars were paid off but then started breaking down so they were traded in for new leased vehicles. The housing market has softened a bit, prices are down 6%; they're not upside down on the mortgage, but they don't have much appreciation either.

And those low-interest mortgages got adjusted. Up. A lot.

Those tight budgets they were barely making work are now completely broken. There is not enough money coming in to make the payments. After six months of slipping behind, the houses are put up for sale. They sit for two months with almost no activity. They drop the price to sell for the cost of the mortgage. Still no activity. The banks foreclose and they both file bankruptcy.

John looks at his situation, each decision he made over the last three years, the circumstances that were given him and realizes the mistakes he made. Yes, there were things outside his control. But there were also many decisions he made that, with some foresight, he could have anticipated as problematic. Now with hindsight, he can clearly see the high risk financial lifestyle he's been living. He can also now make changes. He's still in his mid-thirties with plenty of time to adjust, make better decisions, recover and continue forward.

Jim looks at his situation and sees life throwing road block after road block at him. He has no control over what's happened. He's upset at the mortgage company for taking so much and then wanting more. He's upset at the companies' management: one went out of business and the other fired him. He's upset at the government and its leaders for such a terrible economy. He talks with his friends about how bad things are and somebody should do something to fix it.

Are you John or Jim?

This account is purely fictional. Any similarity to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Harley's note: About a month ago I read this article on Get Rich Slowly. The idea of locus of control,, a long forgotten concept from psych class, has been bouncing around in the recesses of my mind in the intervening weeks. Then yesterday this story popped out of my fingers. Hope you enjoy it.