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On the basis of the experience in practicing training and intercultural communication, Fontaine pointed out that it is very difficult to deal with multicultural society in a globalized world. His theory says that it is necessary not only to address it by reason, but that it requires practical and trial and error actions.
"You can best try to see if a method is effective in dealing with different environments through trial and error. If one method does not work, you should try a different way. You can observe what the person next to you is doing, and by combining this with your own method, you can see if that is better to find the best way. Then, the best solution emerges for you. It is something understood from trying, and it is the gift of the trial and error. That is how I define "swarm intelligence", as sharing methods and their outcomes with others in a similar ecosystem.
Swarm intelligence involves observing the methods others in our ecosystem use to try to solve problems and the success of those methods and then trying out the more successful methods oneself. There is no certainty that a given method will be effective. Even in the same ecosystem, it is not guaranteed that it will function equally. Still, we can find the best way by doing trial and error and comparing our outcomes with others in our swarm."
Fontaine, who explored the application of "swarm intelligence" to solving intercultural problems made a significant progress in the research and practice of intercultural communication. In addition, his studies spread further by the concept of "sense of presence".
"For example, when you are attending a meeting at home in your own culture you are using about 10% of your consciousness. That’s all you need because everything is familiar and predictable. The remaining 90% are about tonight's menu or your family relationship, errands you have to finish, etc. In other words, you don’t need to be present at 100% in the situations that you expect to be repeated in the daily life. However, in a strange land, you cannot predict so effectively what will happen. If distracted by other things, you can make mistakes, fall off a cliff, be shot with a gun, damage human relations, and other possibilities for bad things to happen. That's why in different cultures your "sense of presence" must be nearly at 100% ".
Fontaine notes that with the "sense of presence" at 100%, one is more aware and feels more alive. With a high sense of presence, even if one encounters the world of different cultures, it is possible to cope with the challenges. Noticing the different methods, it becomes possible to deal with a different attitude, and so one can find the necessary way to accomplish the mission. And what is most significant of all is that this being more aware and feeling more alive is an optimal experience for many people and increases their motivation to continue seeking and dealing with the challenges. He studied how to optimize the use of a "sense of presence" and use that knowledge in the training of people who have to deal with different ecosystems. (3/4)