Introduction

In the earlier chapter we saw how a small
counter-intuitive evolution that shifted our voice box, probably due to
inherent habit of gossiping, made us better at communicating. Apart from
biological evolution like opposing thumbs, upright walking; our ability to
communicate was the first turning point in history of human evolution.

With shifted voice box, we developed ability to
produce hundreds of sounds. More complex and organized than any other animals.
This enormously improved our ability to communicate.

 After
sounds, probably came word and sentences. Writing technique, even in pictorial
forms, came much later as far as we can tell. But we already had evolving brain
and memory. So even without our inability to communicate with written words, we
could easily store massive memories compared to other animals. We started
planning, we started coordinating, we started creating processes. This
enormously improved our ability to work together. From a group of 10-20
individuals like most animals, we became a group of thousands of individuals.
And now we could achieve what smaller groups could not even imagine.

We could hunt the biggest animals.
Archaeological evidences show humans hunted even largest mammoths, boars and
wildest and scariest animals. We could clear our paths, build safe parameters
define our territories. We passed them on as stories and advices. We started
communicating with each other. We formed very large groups who coordinated
according to set processes and wisdom of hundreds of man-years.

What makes us special. Co-ordination or
communication is not unique to us. All animals, even plants communicate in
their own way. Bees can communicate miles about discovery of nectar. Birds can
communicate spotting of lion etc. Sharks can smell slightest traces of blood in
an ocean. But these all instances of communication are very limited-
mono-syllabic if we may call this. Imagine being able to say only “yes” or
“no”. How limited we would become! So, the depth, dimension and lucidity give
our communication method a unique superiority.

Same goes for co-ordination. All animals
co-ordinate at some scale or the other. But we co-ordinate in scale of billions.
Traffic lights, law and order, stock market trading, currency notes… all are
the proof of efficiency of our co-ordination. But again, this is not just about
number. Bees and ants can communicate in huge numbers as well. But then, as
mentioned earlier, their communication is mono syllabic. So, their numbers and
their abilities as a team is very limited.

If you look closely, even the smallest units-
like a family or a relationship or the largest units- like countries,
religions, markets- they are all based on only these two things only-
Communication & Co-ordination. Of course, we can develop methods and invent
modes to do these better, faster and in more High-Definition- but at the heart
of this all- there are only two things- Our ability to communicate and our
ability to co-ordinate.