Which of the following is an essential element of communication?

The essential element of communication is thought. This is because thought forms the basis of any communication; it involves the ideas, feelings, and information that need to be conveyed. A person's thoughts are what they wish to express and share with others, and these thoughts are typically structured into messages that can be verbal or non-verbal.

Without thought, there is nothing to communicate. It is the initial step in the communication process, as it generates the content that will ultimately be relayed to another individual. When engaging in any form of communication, it starts with the sender's thoughts, which are then encoded into understandable language or behavior that can be transmitted to a receiver.

While intuition, self-criticism, and timing can enhance communication, they are not foundational elements. Intuition may guide a person's response or understanding, self-criticism can affect how one perceives their communication effectiveness, and timing can influence the impact of the message, but none of these substitutes for the essential process of having a thought to communicate in the first place.