Survival of the Loudest

A video has been making the rounds these days in which a killer whale is filmed eating a shark. Gory but fascinating. Also, it serves as a reminder about being part of the animal kingdom. The upside, whether you are a creature of the sea or a land-dwelling beast, you get to enjoy the wonders of nature non-stop. The downside, however, is a big downside: something somewhere is always on the prowl to eat you. No animal in the wild is truly safe. No matter how big, fast, strong, clever or elusive something might be, no animal knows for certain if it will live to see another day. Talk about stress. And you can forget about trust.

I mention this because life in the world of us so-called higher beings - people - seems to becoming more and more like life in the animal kingdom, particularly as it applies to communication. Everywhere one turns, including television, newspapers, the Internet and radio, people seem to be trying outshout others. Less and less we see actual conversation or dialog. It is a world of survival of the loudest. For any of us, this is no way to be. Loud does not make right any more than might. Yet here we are. At the very least, this is the direction in which we seem to be heading. Our ability to peacefully co-exist is what supposedly separates us from animals. (Not to mention penny loafers and books-on-tape.) Yet the constant yelling matches that we see seems to suggest our ability to "get along" is eroding.

Professional communicators can and should play a key role in helping reverse this trend. By recommitting their efforts to communication rather than devoting their energies to shouting down those that represent different perspectives, then slowly respectful dialog can return to being more of what the norm. Getting this to happen, however, is asking a lot. Too many of us still want to be heard rather than hear. That cannot be allowed to continue. Communication at its best is when we are able to do both. Professional communicators can show the way toward achieving such a landscape.