~~** Is misunderstanding a part of human nature **~~ ??

Question

For instance - It happens most of the time with me i say & mean something & people understand something else & make out something else out of it.
Today my intimate friend is not my friend anymore because of this misunderstanding.
But what ever happened was good coz i came to know that she was something & pretended to be something else.

~~**Spread smiles**~~ :-)

Answer 1

*Now, maybe YOU are misunderstanding her !!!! do check out first before cutting out yr friend frm yr life !!!!!
Friends are very hard to find and equally hard to keep, forever !!!

Answer 2

You've got two things going on in your question I'd like to sort out a bit.

Do people misunderstand what other people say?

Well, yes this happens.

It doesn't ALWAYS happen -- we often DO understand what other people say; much of what we say is understood as intended.

I'm not sure what benefit there is from bringing the concept of human nature into it.

Suppose the fact that it's easy to mis-interpret people were made a basic idea in education, and in our dealings with each other.

We would be better at expressing ourselves less ambiguously, and others would be more likely to notice ambiguity and get clarification, rather than jumping to the conclusion that their interpretation is what's meant.

So it COULD be less common that people would misunderstand each other and that those misunderstandings would actually do harm.

But then you talk about misunderstanding a person -- that is, you now feel that you THOUGHT your friend was one way, but now feel she was just pretending, and is something else.

This does happen, too.

It's hard to say, though, without details.

If the friend misunderstood something, and then did something based on that misunderstanding, it seems a shame to drop the friendship entirely.

At least, if there's no deeper reason to do so.

Are you SURE the person is not what you thought before, but is really, and always has been, something horrible?

Or do you say that because your feelings were hurt by the misunderstanding?

Is there a way to clear it all up?

As I say, I can't tell, without any idea at all of what actually happened.

If she really was completely deceiving you, then, yes, you're better to know what she really is, and possibly being aware of how she managed to decieve you before.

But if you're just hurt over a misunderstanding, well, true friendships are hard to come by -- it's unwise to throw them away lightly.

Answer 3

Misunderstanding is not a part of human nature, it is the result of ineffective communication. How you say things can be misconstrued if you don't speak with adaquate clarity. For instance, human nature has nothing to do with misunderstanding, while the result of a misunderstanding can be affected by human nature, since IT IS human nature to get mad because we feel someone we trusted misinformed us.

You can alleviate misunderstanding by effectively communicating with people around you, and to do that means paying attention to how the things you say are recieved. If there is any doubt about whether your communication is getting across, then ask to confirm that it is clear to those you are communicating with.

Sometimes professional communicators will say things to deliberately give false impressions. This is called propaganda. It is used to get people to respond in a certain way that the communicator wishes them to.

Speak clearly, and listen carefully. Sometimes two people will hear the same words from the same source, and come away with a completely different picture of what the speaker was saying. If you don't listen carefully you will misunderstand, and if you don't speak clearly you will be misunderstood.

By the way, am I the only one who doesn't have a spell check button on this anymore?

Answer 4

understanding and misunderstanding are both a part of human nature. we have a mind and a heart. sometimes following only the emotional heart without the help of the practical mind, leads to misunderstanding.
and that's natural. but the journey which starts with misunderstanding should not be dragged so much which doesn't leave a chance to heal the hearts involved in it. clearing the misunderstanding is the best way to overcome it.

if that friend of yours was an intimate friend, you should take a step to clear things between yourselves.
friendship is very precious.

take care!
:-)

Answer 5

.....Yes, it's natural and inevitable to misunderstand. We know what we mean, but the words we express can be interpreted different ways and the people listening have a variety of perspectives from which to interpret this message.

So the only way to avoid this is to check the message, to check whether what we thought we heard is really what was intended. If you're in a situation where the communication really matters, it's a good idea to do this.

As far as your relationship is concerned, you're in luck...you are no longer with someone who jumps to conclusions and takes drastic action without checking what the loved one intended...

Answer 6

I think yes, more often than not we misunderstand one another. Communicating itself verbally and in writing is a series of Know what I means? and get what I'm saying?" and reiterating your message in enough different ways not just to make a point but to make sure your point is clear.
The other part of misunderstanding is that there is regularly a hidden message or agenda. My guess is your question is a bit directed at wanting to feel better about the loss of your friend and or needing validation that you did the right thing. Maybe someday we will evolve to be better communicators as a species, but today it seems we go our separate ways.

Answer 7

Misunderstanding is common, but if it should happen between friends or in the family, coz trust is the foundation of all relations. I think your friend doesn't deserve your trust, but if u think it is not her fault go ahead and explain the this to her. Even if she is not ur friend now, JUST TELL HER THE TRUTH as to what u actually meant to say. Atleast the misunderstanding will be cleared. If she is humane inough, she WILL understand. With time things will definitely improve.
This is not dilaasaa, it is fact. :)

Answer 8

Yes, I think misunderstandings are pretty common and part of human nature. We are all individuals with unique opinions and experiences. Even the best of friends misunderstand each other at times. I think sometimes it depends on the situation, our mood and other circumstances. We tend to hear things in our own ways and put our own spin on what was said, rather than thinking about the person who said it and thinking about it first. If your friend wasn't being honest with you or trustworthy, then it's probably best that you go your separate ways. I think sometimes we just need to think first before we react to some things people say.

Answer 9

My experience tells me that misunderstanding amongst people occurs mostly on account of lack of proper expression.That is why you will find that people with poor expression are misunderstood much more often than other less well meaning people.
To the above extent,yes, misunderstanding could be said to be attributable to the personality of the individuals involved.However to call it a part of human nature would be an exaggeration.

Answer 10

Yes, it's so much a part of human nature that there is even a name for it. Also, projection is a big part of the 'blem. When you say something, I'll interpret it according to what I would mean if I were saying it. Effective communication is a bit of a job, but, then, there are people we can never make sense to, and vice verse. Bonne chance.

Answer 11

Unfortunately, it is. I tend to ask the question often, "Do you understand what I am saying?" so that others will let me know if what I say doesn't make sense. We try to read into what is being said instead of taking things at face value. Of course, if we were more real with each other and would not hide stuff in our speech, it would be easier to listen without reading between the lines.

Why do we have to be so complicated? ;)

I suppose we need to be real and cut all the crap out of our conversations. BTW, thanks for the smiles.