Paul Watzlawick and the theory of human communication

According to Austrian psychologist Paul Watzlawick, Communication plays a fundamental role in our lives and in the social order, although we are barely aware of it. And from the beginning of our existence, we participate in the process of acquiring the rules of communication embedded in our relationships, even if we do not realize it.

Little by little we learn what to say and how to do it, as well as the multiple forms of communication that exist in our daily lives. It seems incredible that such a complex process goes so unnoticed and we automate it almost without conscious effort. The truth is, that without communication, human beings would not have been able to advance or evolve to what they are now. Now, what are the ins and outs of communication that allow us to relate and that, despite their importance, we do not take into account? Let’s dig deeper.

Paul Watzlawick and his vision of communication

Paul Watzlawick (1921-2007) was an Austrian psychologist, a leader in family and systemic therapy.internationally recognized for his work “The art of making life bitter” published in 1983. He obtained a doctorate in philosophy, trained in psychotherapy at the Carl Jung Institute in Zurich and was a professor at Stanford University.

Watzlawick, together with Janet Beavin Bavelas and Don D. Jackson at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, developed the theory of human communication, cornerstone for family therapy. In it, communication is not explained as an internal process that arises from the subject, but as the fruit of an exchange of information that originates in a relationship.

In this way, his theory of communication would later be known as the “interactional approach”; which conceives communication as an open system in which messages are exchanged through interaction.

Thus, from this perspective, the important thing is not so much the way we communicate or whether it is conscious or not, but rather how we communicate in the here and now and how we influence each other. Let’s see what are the fundamental principles on which the theory of human communication is based and what learning we can learn from them.

The 5 axioms of the theory of human communication

For Watzlawick, Jackson, Beavin and Bavelas, the following axioms are found in all human communication:

It is impossible not to communicate

Communication is inherent to life. By this principle Paul Waztlawick and his colleagues meant that All behavior is a form of communication in itself, both implicitly and explicitly. Even being silent implies information or a message, making it impossible not to communicate. Non-communication does not exist.

Even when we do nothing, whether on a verbal or non-verbal level we are transmitting something. It may be that we are not interested in what they tell us or that we simply prefer not to give our opinion. The point is that there is more information in the “message” than what is strictly contained in the words.

Communication has a content level and a relationship level (metacommunication)

This axiom refers to the fact that in all communication, not only the meaning of the message itself is important (content level), but it is also relevant how the person speaking wants to be understood and how they want others to understand them (relationship level).

So, The content aspect corresponds to what we transmit verbally while the relational aspect refers to how we communicate that message, that is, the tone of voice, facial expression, context, etc. This last aspect being the one that determines and influences the first. Since depending on our tone or expression, the message will be received in one way or another.

Punctuation gives meaning depending on the person

The third axiom was explained by Paul Watzlawick as “The nature of a relationship depends on the gradation that the participants make of the communication sequences between them.” By this he meant that each of us always constructs a version of what we observe and experience, and depending on it it marks the relationship with other people.

This principle is fundamental when it comes to relating and we should keep it in mind every time we interact. Given that all the information that reaches us is filtered based on our experiences, personal characteristics and learning, which makes the same concept such as love, friendship or trust have different meanings.

Furthermore, another key aspect of communication is that each interlocutor believes that the other’s behavior is the cause of his or her behavior, when the truth is that communication is a much more complex process that cannot be reduced to a simple cause-effect relationship. Communication is a cyclical process in which each party contributes uniquely to the moderation of the exchange.

The digital mode and the analog mode

From the theory of human communication it is postulated that there are two modalities:

Digital mode. This refers to what is said through words, which are the vehicle of what the communication contains.Analog mode. It includes non-verbal communication, that is, the way we express ourselves and the vehicle of the relationship.

Symmetric and complementary communication

Finally, with this axiom The aim is to give importance to the way we relate to others: sometimes under conditions of equality, while other times based on differences.

When The relationship we have with another person is symmetrical, we move on the same plane, that is, we have conditions of equality and an equivalent power in the exchange, but we do not complement each other. While if the relationship is complementary, such as parent-child, teacher/student or seller/buyer relationships, we will find ourselves immersed in conditions of inequality, but accepting the differences and thus allowing the complement of the interaction.

Thus, if we take these principles into account, we will reach the conclusion that In every communicative situation, what is important and what we must pay attention to is the relationship itself; That is, the way of interacting of the people who communicate and not so much the individual role of each of them.

As we see, communication is a much more complex process than we imagine with a number of implicit aspects that appear in the day-to-day life of our relationships.

Relationship between Systemic Family Therapy and the Axioms of Communication

Systemic Family Therapy and Human Communication Theory are closely linked, since both are systemic and based on interaction, interrelation and connection. Every family therapist makes use of Communication Theory and includes the axioms proposed by it in his interventions.

Bateson and Ruesch, authors of the book Communication the social matrix of psychiatryaffirm that “communication is the matrix into which all human activities fit.” Hence, this approach inaugurates a much broader way of understanding communication; surpassing the previous approach and placing the reflection on communication in a holistic framework, as the foundation of all human activity.

The approach of these axioms breaks with the unidirectional or linear vision of communication. Somehow, The axioms mark the beginning of understanding that communication is not just a matter of actions and reactions. It is something more complex, and must be thought of from a systemic approach, based on the concept of exchange.

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