**2. Understanding communication from the standpoint of complexity science**

#### **2.1 Complexity science**

Complexity science is originally derived from the natural sciences of biology and physics and has no single original theory to explain it. It has been applied in the social sciences to address problems and issues in human society. We are also surrounded by many complex systems, such as traffic jams, stock and futures trading, etc. An organization composed of multiple individuals is a social complex system [7].

In modern society, we benefit from information and logistics technologies, which not only connect the world and allow us to be informed about events such as natural and human disasters in distant countries but also affect our lives in many ways. Almost all systems in this modern society are connected, creating a huge complex system as a whole. There are several characteristics of a complex system. However, the most important ones are having a specific origin, having a regularity even though the way it spreads is difficult to understand, and interacting with the surrounding external systems and other systems that exist alongside it [7].

#### **2.2 Revisiting commutation processes**

Most human activities are communication. We live our lives with others, and "relating" is communication, exchanging information in all its forms. Shannon and Weaver's most fundamental theory of communication frames and explains the essence of communication [8].

The sender sends a message with an intention. The receiver of the information receives it through a filter of interpretation. Noise exists in the process of transmission and reception, and when the intention at the time of transmission is expressed, it becomes something different from its original form (symbolization). The receiver's interpretation deciphers it, but there is a twist. Furthermore, the receiver becomes an information transmitter that provides feedback based on interpretation. It may seem like a simple exchange of information, but in fact, various factors are involved, and it is not easy for the sender's intentions to arrive at the receiver's side as it is.

The term "butterfly effect" is used to express a slight change in the state of a dynamic system that causes the system's subsequent state to be significantly different from what it would have been without the slight change [9]. Also, in the communication process, a small element can greatly change the outcome. For example, is there someone you know or a friend of yours who somehow makes you feel more energized when you talk with him or her? In communicating with that person, there may be expressions present in the information provider, which lead to good interpretations. For example, a terrific caregiver professional I know practices "hand-holding." As the term implies, it is a light touch of the hand on the other's shoulder when listening to a story. It is an expression of caring. Others may include sitting so that you are facing diagonally rather than face to face in the consultation process, smiling a little when you greet someone and other casual gestures that can make a big difference.
