Social information: the person is the message

Assumptions that Shannonʹs concepts cannot extend to social systems are challenged by showing that social information measures the reduced uncertainties individuals have about the systemic effects of each otherʹs behavior. The ‘meaningʹ of individual actions is their collective consequences, which also measure reductions in systemic uncertainties about collective environments. Meaning is communicated through messages using media such as values, ethics and morals, which encourage individuals to act predictably and replicate the improbable behaviors characterizing particular societies. When individuals internalize meaning, their personal identities communicate societal priorities to future generations.