The Third Trigger: Redundancy

Speaker A:  I'm so happy to be here!

Speaker B:  I can see that you're happy!

Speaker A:  I am! I'm so pleased!

Speaker B:  You look pleased!

Speaker A:  Are you happy that we're here?

Speaker B:  I am!  I'm very excited!

Speaker A:  You sound excited!  I can hear the excitement in your voice.

Speaker B:  And that makes me feel so at peace, that we both feel the same way!

Speaker A:  And I feel at peace, too!  That makes me even more excited, that we both feel pleased and at peace to be here.

Wow!  What would be your reaction if you were part of a conversation that continued in this same mode for too much longer?

The above represents a dialogue between two people using 'resonating' behavior.  Remember that 'resonating' behavior, according to SAVI, represents verbal behavior that is relatively clear of 'ambiguity' and 'contradiction'.  So, why do we react to this example in a way that makes us feel that something just isn't quite right with what's taking place?

We're reacting to the redundancy associated with this interaction.  There's really nothing else but 'resonating' behavior to be heard as far as the ear can hear!  The repetition of the same type of behavior causes us to respond in ways that make us want to shut down or get out!

According to SAVI, redundancy can be established within any type of communication- approach, avoidance, contingent- and can muddy the waters of our interactions with others, making the information found within less easy to accept and work with. 

For example, redundancy becomes the fuel behind any memorable one-on-one 'attack/blame' on another person:

I told you not to that, and you did it anyway!  How many times do I have to tell you, "Don't do that?!" I say the same thing over and over again and again, and you don't listen!  You never listen!  What's the matter with you?!

We react to redundancy within the communication of two or three people, like in our opening dialogue.

And we react to redundancy in the communication taking place within whole groups.  For example, it's easy to find oneself in a meeting where everyone is passing facts, figures, opinions and proposals back and forth like balls in a tennis match, but no solutions are developed, no productive output results from all the discussion- there are no points scored.  The old saying that a meeting is where minutes are taken and hours are lost captures the spirit of this familiar redundancy of endless contingent communication with no direction.

SAVI informs us that redundancy is the third trigger for defensive behavior, the other two being 'ambiguity' and 'contradiction'.  The three together - ambiguity, contradiction, and redundancy - are defined by SAVI as 'noise'.  And with SAVI, we are always on the lookout for any type of  'noise' that makes its way into the communication system.