Why Meaning Isn’t Fixed—and Why That’s What Makes Communication Human
We often speak as if communication is simple: say what you mean, and others will understand.
But the truth is more complex—and more human.
Even in nonfiction, no two people read the same sentence the same way. Experience, emotion, and perspective shape how meaning is received. That’s not a flaw in communication—that’s the beauty of it.
It means that understanding isn’t fixed. The words you speak or write may be clear in your mind, but they’re interpreted through someone else’s lens—through their story, their mood, their readiness to receive.
And that’s what makes human communication both fragile and deeply beautiful.
Because when someone does understand you—when your words, shaped by your experience, are received by someone else in a way that moves them—that’s not just communication. That’s connection.
It reminds us that words are not just tools; they’re bridges.
That listening isn’t passive; it’s an act of empathy.
That saying something well doesn’t guarantee being understood—but saying it honestly increases the chance you will be.
This doesn’t mean we should stop trying to be clear. It means we should try to be present.
To listen as well as we speak.
To ask, not just “Did I say it right?”—but “Did they hear it the way I meant?”
We don’t need perfect understanding to feel understood.
Sometimes, we just need the effort.
And that, too, is what makes communication matter.
