Tuesday 9 March 2010

I sometimes wonder at my ability to communicate

because it seems to be all too easy to be misunderstood, especially in the virtual world.
It is almost certainly because the other visual and auditory cues are missing but hey, I am supposed to be a writer! I should be able to communicate without the need for extra cues.
I should be able to take into account the fact that other people will read comments hastily and assume they have read them correctly. I should be able to take into account the fact that other people will think that a comment is directed at them even if it is not intended that way. Somehow I always seem to forget these things. I need to be more careful. I am in too much of a hurry to respond. (N, if you are reading this, humble apologies...I was not having a go at you but at the idiots you were talking about.)
Reading comprehension depends on both writer and reader. We are all egotistical. If we were not we would not survive. Misunderstandings arise because of those things, especially if we are sensitive about the issues in question. Most of us learn to acknowledge that we are egotistical and, in doing so, we are also able to acknowledge and understand other people's egotistical outlook as well. We can empathise and be simpatico.
Of course politicians exploit this business of miscommunication to the nth degree. They thrive and survive on miscommunication and misunderstandings. I do not want to be a politician.
Perhaps it is a case of, "I know you think you understood what I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you heard or, in this case, read is not what I meant."
Now - you do not understand?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find the "unfollow" button on Blogger works particularly well in cases like this!

Seriously, don't make the assumption that all published writers are going to have blogs that will appeal to everyone. I find my blogroll has changed quite a bit in the last year I have been on blogger.

catdownunder said...

And then I get a nice pat from you Donna and I feel better...purrr!

Talli Roland said...

It is so easy to misread tones in email and blogs, etc. I've learned not to take things personally. And yes -- unfollow if need be!