Communication Between Honest People and Liars (2007.7.20)

There are liars in the world—people who cannot be trusted. Naturally, honest individuals cannot establish meaningful communication with liars. But how many liars are there, really? If we consider this question using a 2×2 matrix, the situation might look like the table below.

from＼to	Honest	liars
Honest	good	N.G.
liars	N.G.	N.G.

※This article is an English version of our article dated July 20, 2007, titled　（Translated by ChatGPT）
正直者と嘘つきのコミュニケーション／ Communication between honesty and liars: 本に溺れたい

Out of the four possible dimensions, communication fails in three of them. In other words, there is a 75% chance of failure and only a 25% chance of success. And yet, communication in the real world does not appear to be in a constant state of chaos. From this, we may reasonably infer that, at least for the most part, the majority of communicators in everyday life are, in fact, honest.

That said, politics seems to be mired in continual confusion—suggesting that the world of politics may be disproportionately populated by liars.

Speaking more generally, communication between humans can break down even when both parties are honest. This is because, even when neither side intends to lie, the words that form the core of communication are typically used in accordance with each speaker’s own unique context—and they are interpreted according to the listener’s equally unique contextual framework.

Nonetheless, the world continues to function, more or less, because most everyday communication between people remains on a superficial, business-like level. Conversely, the more we strive for deeper communication, the more it becomes necessary for the participants’ individual contexts to be synchronized.

In short, the likelihood of successful communication—even between honest people—depends heavily on the degree of maturity of the “community” formed between the interlocutors. This topic will be addressed in a separate essay.

※Please refer to the following.
ホンネとタテマエのコミュニケーション／ Communication between Honne (an ulterior motive) and Tatemae (principles): 本に溺れたい