When I was a child, we had a game called "Whisper Down the Lane." In other parts of the country it was called "Telephone," but the game was the same. You got a bunch of kids in a row and something was whispered into the ear of the first kid.
The first kid whispered to the second kid what he or she thought was said. . . and so on, down the lane. At the end of the line, after six or seven kids had passed the message along, the final sentence was compared to the original. Well! You can imagine the funny results.
(This happens in real life, too, and isn't always so funny. Think about gossip – a few "whispers down the lane" can turn a father taking his daughter to lunch into a predator hitting on young girls.)
We mostly think about verbal communication, but it can be a touch, a kiss, a scowl, a raised fist. The other animals communicate, too, verbally and physically. Even trees (and perhaps other plants) communicate to other trees to warn them of oncoming pests so they can marshal their defenses.
And how crucial it is to communicate accurately. ("The prisoner will not be executed. . . the prisoner will now be executed." OOPS. One typo can make a VERY big difference.)
We're social animals – we're stuck with having to communicate to interact with other people. Even politics, frequently disgusting, are the alternative to war.
Wouldn't it be great if when we spoke we were all direct and honest and free from hidden agendas -- if we all listened actively, paid attention, and really HEARD the other person -- if we communicated kindly, to help rather than hurt, to lift up rather than put down?