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Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » I say "the sky is blue". The one I say it to says "Why do you say the sky is orange?" WHAT? VASS ISS DISS? Why the failure to communicate?
RosieG

I say "the sky is blue". The one I say it to says "Why do you say the sky is orange?" WHAT? VASS ISS DISS? Why the failure to communicate?

Do people not comprehend what they read or do they just scan and not read every word?

How do you KNOW you are getting through to people who react to what they thought you said and not what you actually said? It is complicated and puzzling. Somewhat exasperating as well.

Posted - September 12, 2019
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Responses


  • 10748
    Is the sky really blue?  Or have we simply been trained to say it is?  Did you know that no 2 people see color in the exact same way?  One person may see the sky as blue, but another may see it as green.  However, since we call it blue their brain assigns that title (blue) to the color they see - even though it may be green or orange or red.

    Communication is a lot more complicated than it seems.  The words heard or read by another aren't always what the speaker or writer intended.  In Suppose someone said, "He's so gay".  Does the word "gay" mean being happy, or is it referring to a person with an alternative lifestyle?  Sometimes context helps, but sometimes not.  How about the phrase, "We always...".   Who is "we"?  Is it "we" as in you and me, or "we" as in humanity as a whole?  It may have been meant as humanity in whole, yet it was perceived as being personal.  That simple misinterpretation may result in hurt feelings or worse.  We may "know" lots of words, but that doesn't guarantee we can communicate.
      September 12, 2019 4:52 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    The heart of my question is why do people not pay attention to what you say? You are taking the edges of it and I am speaking to the middle of it. Why do people not hear what you say? Why do they not PAY ATTENTION to the written or spoken word more aciduously than they do? I wish I knew. Semantics is complicated.  I full well understand that. That isn't my question Shuhak. I say BLUE and the feedback is ORANGE. They are both colors yes. But the sound is not remotely the same. You have to go out of your way a very long way to repeat back ORANGE when the word you heard is BLUE. That happens to me on occasion. I believe I am articulate and folks should have no problem comprehending what I say. Perhaps I am not a good judge of that. Thank you for your thoughtful reply.
      September 13, 2019 5:04 AM MDT
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  • 10748
    More than likely the reason they don't pay attention is because they don't care.  They believe already "know" everything, so why bother?
      September 13, 2019 8:30 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Well believe it not that did not occur to me. But now that you bring it up I think you nailed it. I EXPECT they care because they are there. Dumb of me to do that obviously. You can not care and still show up so I guess that's what happens. Thanks for the insight. Sometimes the obvious escapes me. :(
      September 13, 2019 9:00 AM MDT
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