---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For communication to have meaning it must…"
description: "\"For communication to have meaning it must have a life. It must transcend \"you and me\" and become \"us.\" If I truly communicate, I see in you a life that..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/hugh-prather-3404_boundaries_for-communication-to-have-meaning-it-mus_477895.png"
---

#  For communication to have meaning it must have a life. It…

![“For communication to have meaning it must have a life. It must transcend &quot;you and me&quot; and become &quot;us.&quot; If I truly communicate, I see in you a life that is not me and partake of it. And you see and partake of me. In a small way we then grow out of our old selves and become something new. To have…” quote by Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/hugh-prather-3404_boundaries_for-communication-to-have-meaning-it-mus_477895.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/hugh-prather-3404_boundaries_for-communication-to-have-meaning-it-mus_477895.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b7/hugh-prather-3404_boundaries_for-communication-to-have-meaning-it-mus_477895.png)

> “For communication to have meaning it must have a life. It must transcend "you and me" and become "us." If I truly communicate, I see in you a life that is not me and partake of it. And you see and partake of me. In a small way we then grow out of our old selves and become something new. To have this kind of sharing I cannot enter into a conversation clutching myself. I must enter into it with loose boundaries. I must give myself to the relationship, and be willing to be what grows out of it.”

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True communication requires seeing the other as a distinct life, merging selves into a shared, evolving relationship.

**In simple terms:** Communication is sharing lives, not just words.

Key Takeaway

Enter conversations with openness and flexible identity.

Themes

connection growth selflessness

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- therapy sessions
- team projects
- intimate relationships
- creative collaborations

Key Concepts

interpersonal dynamics shared identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you loosen personal boundaries in dialogue?
- What does “us” feel like in your relationships?

A Different Perspective

If boundaries remain rigid, genuine sharing stalls.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Boundaries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boundaries/) [Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Communicate Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate-life-866901/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Communication Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication-meaning-4115055/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Old self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-self/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Something new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something-new/) [Truly Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truly-communicate-4115056/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/)

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