Communication Is A Two-Way Bridge

Miscommunication is a surprisingly common occurrence. It seems crazy that people who all grew up learning and speaking the same language are always misunderstanding one another. But when you understand how communication works, it stops surprising you how common miscommunication is. 

First of all, understand that words are tools to convey thoughts and feelings. Words always end up being the closest approximation of how we think and feel. Very often, though, people do have feelings that words are unable to express, which shows that even English is a limited language. 

Second of all, remember from the previous post that each individual person has their own personal understanding for what a word means. So just because you say "I think it's ok" with a certain understanding of what that means, the other person may feel it has a different definition.

At its core, communication is a two-way bridge. The speaker has an idea that they are trying to convey to the other person. The speaker uses words to convey that idea to the audience. The audience then has to hear the words, decode them, and try to understand and feel the idea being conveyed. 

If the speaker fails to accurately convey an idea, or the audience understands the words used as having different meanings, then there lies miscommunication. 

It may be a bridge, but communication can be a very rickety one. There are so many variables that you can never be sure that what was given is what was received.

Be extra careful when communicating with people. Take the time and effort to make sure you are being understood properly. It will make all the difference in the world to both of you.