---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we ever start communicating with…"
description: "\"If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are you going to communicate information? Even..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg"
---

#  If we ever start communicating with living creatures from…

![“If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are you going to communicate information? Even between different cultures here on Earth, you get into communication problems.” quote by Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg)

> “If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are you going to communicate information? Even between different cultures here on Earth, you get into communication problems.”

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

## About This Quote

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

Effective communication with extraterrestrials hinges on establishing a common language, a challenge similar to cross‑cultural dialogue on Earth.

**In simple terms:** We must find a universal way to share information.

Key Takeaway

Develop universal communication frameworks.

Themes

communication exploration language culture technology understanding

Mood

curious thoughtful

Type

philosophical scientific

When to use this quote

- space missions
- international diplomacy
- multicultural teams
- education
- AI translation

Key Concepts

linguistics exobiology anthropology information theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What symbols could convey basic concepts?
- How do we avoid misinterpretation across species?

A Different Perspective

Even with a common language, meanings may differ.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communicate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/) [Communicate Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate-information-3225409/) [Communicating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicating/) [Communicating Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicating-living-4901382/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different cultures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-cultures/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/information/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-creatures/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Planets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planets/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/)

## Related quotes

> [There is no way for the American economic system to function without advertising. There is no other way to communicate enough information about enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-toole/there-is-no-way-for-the-american-economic-system-to-function-without/)

[John O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-toole/)

> [ They're \[social media\] amazing tools to communicate information - especially about different causes or crises or movements. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/they-re-social-media-amazing-tools-to-communicate-information/)

[Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/)

> [You can only succeed when people are communicating, not just from the top down, but in complete interchange. Communication comes from fighting off my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-walsh/you-can-only-succeed-when-people-are-communicating-not-just-from-the/)

[Bill Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-walsh/)

> [Communicating our questions, hopes, and fears in prayer makes them-even to ourselves-more open and clear...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/communicating-our-questions-hopes-and-fears-in-prayer-makes-them-even/)

[Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/)

> [We are in a world that is connected, but is not communicating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-are-in-a-world-that-is-connected-but-is-not-communicating/)

[Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/)

> [One thing that has made a big comeback just recently is this business of speaking with the dead. To my innocent mind, 'dead' implies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-randi/one-thing-that-has-made-a-big-comeback-just-recently-is-this-business/)

[James Randi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-randi/)

> [ In the judgment of design engineers, the ordinary means of communicating with a computer are entirely inadequate. \[...\] Graphical communication in some form or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-wilkes/in-the-judgment-of-design-engineers-the-ordinary-means-of/)

[Maurice Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-wilkes/)

> [The weirdest thing with friends, the way you measure it is if you go without communicating for months at a time, you can sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-weiner/the-weirdest-thing-with-friends-the-way-you-measure-it-is-if-you-go/)

[Matthew Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-weiner/)

> [Communicating with God is the most extraordinary experience imaginable, yet at the same time it's the most natural one of all, because God is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/communicating-with-god-is-the-most-extraordinary-experience/)

[Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/)

> [Friction and misunderstandings often occur when communicating across generations. It gets even more challenging when working across virtual settings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-arroyo/friction-and-misunderstandings-often-occur-when-communicating-across/)

[Raymond Arroyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-arroyo/)

> [When communicating results to non-technical types there is nothing better than a clear visualization to make your point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tukey/when-communicating-results-to-non-technical-types-there-is-nothing/)

[John Tukey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tukey/)

> [The art of communicating is to speak with a non judging sensitivity and mean it rather than impulsively verbalizing whatever feelings arise; there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-orloff/the-art-of-communicating-is-to-speak-with-a-non-judging-sensitivity/)

[Judith Orloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-orloff/)

> [The serialization through the Internet or through digital portals, means of ways of communicating, and I think that's great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/the-serialization-through-the-internet-or-through-digital-portals/)

[Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/)

> [We live in a world in which we are able to communicate very quickly in many different ways, and yet we find communicating more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-we-are-able-to-communicate-very-quickly/)

[Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/)

> [I could say that making clothes is my way of communicating, because I was always so shy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-gaultier/i-could-say-that-making-clothes-is-my-way-of-communicating-because-i/)

[Jean Paul Gaultier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-gaultier/)

## More by Story Musgrave

> [I never read a single book as a child. I did not read as a child. I worked on the farm. I had books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-never-read-a-single-book-as-a-child-i-did-not-read-as-a-child-i/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [When you're looking that far out, you're giving people their place in the universe, it touches people. Science is often visual, so it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/when-you-re-looking-that-far-out-you-re-giving-people-their-place-in/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I’m not a risk taker. But astronauts are professionals, so you get out on the field and play ball. I tried to take it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-m-not-a-risk-taker-but-astronauts-are-professionals-so-you-get-out/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I didn't wish those tragedies upon the people who played them out. It was certainly tragic for them, but not for me. All of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-didn-t-wish-those-tragedies-upon-the-people-who-played-them-out-it/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I'm such a long-term investor, I've never really let go and celebrated what I did with the Hubble telescope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-m-such-a-long-term-investor-i-ve-never-really-let-go-and-celebrated/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I came from an extraordinarily dysfunctional family, full of abuse and alcoholism. And eventually everyone within the family had committed suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-came-from-an-extraordinarily-dysfunctional-family-full-of-abuse-and/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [There really isn't a time to pause and have a celebration. I feel so serious about the whole thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/there-really-isn-t-a-time-to-pause-and-have-a-celebration-i-feel-so/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [Whitman expressed the whole universe in his poetry and in his catalogues. That attitude almost defines what we call American romanticism, or American transcendentalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/whitman-expressed-the-whole-universe-in-his-poetry-and-in-his/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [Hubble touches people. When you're looking that far out, you're giving people their place in the universe, it touches people. Science is often visual,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/hubble-touches-people-when-you-re-looking-that-far-out-you-re-giving/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I've already written 300 space poems. But I look upon my ultimate form as being a poetic prose. When you read it, it appears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-ve-already-written-300-space-poems-but-i-look-upon-my-ultimate-form/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [It's hard to say what drives a three year-old, but I think I had a sense that nature was my solace, and nature was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/it-s-hard-to-say-what-drives-a-three-year-old-but-i-think-i-had-a/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [The way you remember the past depends upon your hope for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/the-way-you-remember-the-past-depends-upon-your-hope-for-the-future/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I feel particularly close to them, because I am now out in the universe. I'm in a position to see nature from another point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-feel-particularly-close-to-them-because-i-am-now-out-in-the/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [And So, I Was Not A Military Test Pilot, But As Soon As NASA Expressed An Interest In Flying Scientists & People Who Were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/and-so-i-was-not-a-military-test-pilot-but-as-soon-as-nasa-expressed/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

> [I would have taken whatever hand I was dealt. Space was it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/i-would-have-taken-whatever-hand-i-was-dealt-space-was-it/)

[Story Musgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

[Explore all 28 Story Musgrave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/)

## More Communicate quotes

> [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [I have learned so much from my dad. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/)

[Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/)

> [Even people who can't communicate can fall in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaejoong/even-people-who-can-t-communicate-can-fall-in-love/)

[Jaejoong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaejoong/)

> [Our communications reflect in our countenance. Therefore, we must be careful not only what we communicate, but also how we do so. Souls can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-lionel-kendrick/our-communications-reflect-in-our-countenance-therefore-we-must-be/)

[L. Lionel Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-lionel-kendrick/)

> [Always being on the move has strange consequences. I meet so many amazing people, for a night, or sometimes just a few days. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaspar-claus/always-being-on-the-move-has-strange-consequences-i-meet-so-many/)

[Gaspar Claus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaspar-claus/)

> [“Even without words, you communicate through touch, body language, and facial expression.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmel-sheridan/even-without-words-you-communicate-through-touch-body-language-and/)

[Carmel Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmel-sheridan/)

> [I could say that making clothes is my way of communicating, because I was always so shy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-gaultier/i-could-say-that-making-clothes-is-my-way-of-communicating-because-i/)

[Jean Paul Gaultier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-gaultier/)

> [I think there's confusion around what the point of social networks is. A lot of different companies characterized as social networks have different goals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/i-think-there-s-confusion-around-what-the-point-of-social-networks-is/)

[Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/)

> [Language just gradually came in, one or two stressed words a time. Before then, I would just scream. I couldn't talk. I couldn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/language-just-gradually-came-in-one-or-two-stressed-words-a-time/)

[Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/)

> [Had Elijah Muhammad tried to introduce an orthodox form of Arab-oriented Islam, I doubt if he would have attracted 500 people, but he introduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-henrik-clarke/had-elijah-muhammad-tried-to-introduce-an-orthodox-form-of-arab/)

[John Henrik Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-henrik-clarke/)

> [Must whales and dolphins be subjected to deafening noise that will cause more than 3.5 million instances of temporary and/or permanent hearing loss? For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/must-whales-and-dolphins-be-subjected-to-deafening-noise-that-will/)

[Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/)

> [My wish for humanity is to invent a way to communicate between us and whatever comes next. And in the end that we the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/my-wish-for-humanity-is-to-invent-a-way-to-communicate-between-us-and/)

[Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/)

> [Having people around you that are honest with you, and having a team around you that can actually track and communicate where things are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muneshine/having-people-around-you-that-are-honest-with-you-and-having-a-team/)

[Muneshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muneshine/)

> [The most important thing for a director is being able to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/the-most-important-thing-for-a-director-is-being-able-to-communicate/)

[Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/)

> [Sourav's greatest asset is his ability to communicate. He is a naturally very confident person. He encourages his team, is a great motivator and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/sourav-s-greatest-asset-is-his-ability-to-communicate-he-is-a/)

[Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/)

[Browse all 2,325 Communicate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communicate/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are you going to communicate information? Even between different cultures here on Earth, you get into communication problems.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Story Musgrave"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-living-creatures-from-other/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Communicate"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-living-creatures-from-other/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/114/story-musgrave-21688_communicate_if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-livi_1399744.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If we ever start communicating with living creatures from other planets, the number one priority is, how are…” — Story Musgrave",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Story Musgrave",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/story-musgrave/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If we ever start communicating with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-living-creatures-from-other/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/story-musgrave/if-we-ever-start-communicating-with-living-creatures-from-other/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```