Everything Communicates
And I mean *everything*
“The world is for thousands a freak show; the images flicker past and vanish; the impressions remain flat and unconnected in the soul. Thus they are easily led by the opinions of others, are content to let their impressions be shuffled and rearranged and evaluated differently.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1776
We’re surrounded by symbols.
There are the obvious — logos, brand marks, — and there are the more subtle, such as behaviors, speeches, and the absence of something.1
I’ll get back to voids in a moment, but first, a look at how we’ve come to accept and use symbolism as part of how we communicate.
The Power of Images Throughout History
From the earliest days, humans have used imagery to convey meaning. Tens of thousands of years ago, our ancestors painted pictures on walls of caves: the oldest has been dated to 64,000 years ago, as created by Neanderthals in Maltravieso cave in Cáceres, Spain.2
Such images were designed to mark accomplishments, warn of danger, or provide a guide to hunters. They were utilitarian as well as decorative.
As we move through recorded history, we find other examples of symbols being used for broader messages. For example, the story of Noah and the flood ends with God making a promise:
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. (Genesis 9:12-13)
This is something that can be passed on to future generations, as they look at the sky and wonder over a rainbow. It’s a powerful reminder of this promise from times past.
Similarly, the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments: consider how powerful it is to have life’s guidelines written down on two tablets. You don't need an entire volume of text; even in ancient times, the virality of listicles proved effective.
Augurs in ancient Rome interpreted the wishes of the gods by observing the flight patterns of birds. There were no words to receive from the gods, so the priests were tasked with interpreting what this activity meant for leaders and the people of Rome.
Humans have known for millennia that communication can inform, educate, and move people to action. The written and spoken word are the two most widely accepted ways of doing so, but visual communication has always been with us, and in many ways is more powerful.
Speaking Without Speaking
“Under all speech that is good for anything, there lies a silence that is better. Silence is as deep as eternity; speech is shallow as time.”
— Thomas Carlyle, 1838
You don’t always need to be talking to communicate. Silence is powerful.3
What you don’t say is revealing, both in terms of what you support and what you’re unwilling to stand up for.
While you’re busy not talking, you should look around, because there are still visual elements that speak volumes about who you are or what you're trying to convey. Last night, for example, think of what was being communicated by having the president speak at a political event held on federal grounds (which is illegal, by the way).
Or of his daughter speaking from a podium marked with the presidential seal.
Or what they were trying to say by having so many flags on stage.
These were decisions that were made to make an impression — the expression of which was very public in nature. Can you imagine the decisions that are made regarding things that are outside of the public eye?
Everything communicates.
“Integrity is doing the right thing when you don’t have to—when no one else is looking or will ever know—when there will be no congratulations or recognition for having done so.”
— Charles Marshall, 2003
Executive Communication
Consider recent examples of some executives. Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb, needed to lay off hundreds of employees after the pandemic hit. He not only shared an empathetic letter4 with his employees, he tweeted out a link to an alumni director of employees who were available for hire:
He didn’t have to go to that length for them. But in doing so, it spoke volumes about his character and the type of company Airbnb is.
As you make your next big decision or create your next communication, consider all of the unspoken things about it—the images you choose, the assumptions your audience might have, your past actions and words that may support or undermine your message.
Yes, actions do speak louder than words, as the old axiom goes. But imagery speaks louder than both.
There’s so much to learn,
About This Week’s Image
François Boucher’s The Secret Message shows a woman in a garden (likely her own, as she is barefoot). A dove brings her a message—likely from a lover, as there are cherubs depicted in bas relief on the fountain behind her. In the mid-1700s, writing was the primary form of personal communication, and conveying the message from one lover to another by carrier pigeon or dove would have keep prying eyes from seeing the contents of the note. Unless the bird somehow didn't make it to its intended recipient…
