Nov 29, 2018
Reading 'Why War Spreads Easily, but Peace Doesn't' Got Me Thinking About Communication
Tonight, again, pair reading. I’ve lost count of how many times now, but pair reading is just so productive.
This time I did it with friends who weren’t the usual crew. Pair reading is more effective when you do it with people from diverse backgrounds, so it’s good to mix it up.
It’s hard to understand the entirety of a book in detail in just 30 minutes. Of course. That isn’t really the point of pair reading anyway.
The essence of pair reading is that everyone reads different sections based on their interests, then shares thoughts and opinions shaped by their own knowledge and experiences — learning together through collective intelligence.
This topic comes up a lot in pair reading: there should be a pair-reading matching service. Something light, in the vibe of Coffee Meeting. (Young people today probably don’t know what Coffee Meeting was.)
Maybe using bosyu would work. A “looking for a pair reading friend” bosyu.
Back to the topic.
This time, we read “Why War Spreads Easily, but Peace Doesn’t.”
光文社 (2015-07-16)
売り上げランキング: 197,149
It was recommended by a friend studying PR and communication.
That’s another upside of pair reading — it gets you to read books you wouldn’t pick up on your own.
So, why does war spread easily and peace doesn’t? The author argues the hint lies in a mismatch in communication.
In communication, there’s a fundamental difference between “to tell” and “to come across” — separated by just one word in Japanese, but vast in meaning.
You — clever as you are — probably know this truth well. It’s something you should understand as an adult, but there are plenty who can’t face up to it.
Also, picture “war” and “peace,” the author says. Image search them on Google and the difference is stark: war keywords are concrete. Fire, tanks, armed groups, bombs, guns — very specific.
In contrast, search for “peace” and you get oceans, skies, flowers — vague pictures. The definition of peace varies by person and is somehow fluffy.
In other words, because the baseline definitions differ, miscommunication ensues.
In the society we live in, even if both sides “present” their logical chain to a conclusion, since both could be right, it can actually fan “conflict.” That is, it “doesn’t come across.” What matters isn’t “aligning the conclusion” but identifying the other party’s premise (starting point) and “aligning the premises” with each other. That is what “communication” really is.
When A implies B, B implies C, C implies D… leading from A to Z, that counts as a logically correct explanation. But there’s one part of that explanation (= presentation) that isn’t logical. Yes — the starting point.
A — the one with no arrow pointing into it — is the most important thing for communication.
The tricky part is that this A is completely different for each person.
The author calls it “sentiment.” That is, how you were raised, what you’ve experienced, what’s influenced you. The values that form who you are.
・・・・・
Starting from communication theory, the book then unpacks how those in power orchestrate war, how the media end up amplifying it, and the process by which “the war mood” gets manufactured. It then moves on to peace education, and the dilemmas surrounding war and peace.
Summary
When I picked up this book, the section discussing the difference between “telling” and “coming across” really stuck with me.
I love artists — supporting artists has become a part of my life work — and artists tend to focus on “telling.” Because that’s what art is. It doesn’t have to reach everyone — if those it does reach become fans, that’s enough. On the business side, “coming across” is the precondition. Maybe that’s the difference between creators and artists.
From a business perspective, you often struggle with that gap. The world is shifting toward art thinking, and I felt this is an area I want to dig into more.
光文社 (2015-07-16)
売り上げランキング: 197,149