Comment: Gregory Bateson first introduced the idea that “information is a difference that makes a difference” in his 1972 book Steps to an Ecology of Mind. The phrase appears in the essay “Form, Substance and Difference”, which was based on a lecture he gave at the 1970 Key West symposium on communication.What is a difference, that makes a difference? It is an elementary idea, a basic unit of information.
The unit of information is a difference, which makes a difference.
Credit: Gregory Bateson
Source: Form, Substance and Difference
Posts where this quotation is embedded
- Batesonian Information Information is a difference that makes a difference
- Information Emerges Through Relations Rethinking information through Bateson’s relational lens
- What We Mean by Information Seeing the bigger picture behind what we call information
Books: Gregory Bateson (1)
Quotations: Gregory Bateson (1)
Tags: Gregory Bateson (9) | information (43)
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Conversational Leadership Workshop
In-person, 7–11 September 2026
Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
In-person, 7–11 September 2026
Warbrook House, Hampshire, UK
We are living and working in conditions of uncertainty, complexity, and rapid change. This week-long workshop with David Gurteen and John Hovell offers a space to practise Conversational Leadership as a shared, lived experience.
This quotation is part of a blook on Conversational Leadership. It is one of many quotations that have influenced my thinking on the subject. Parts of this blook have restricted access. You may browse the pages open to you, but you will need to register and be approved before you can login and access the full site. When you register, you may also sign-up to receive a quotation of the day by email.