I just started reading a book which shares about 'the mind' ...
Im not even half way thru ...and im really enjoying this book which shares at the beginning, about communication. Its written like so ...
Words are among the most dangerous powers a person can wield.
When what you hear is not what the other person is trying to say and conversely, when what you want to say is not what the other person is hearing—a conversation can quickly turn into a confrontation.
The best precautions are first, not to take the words we hear literally, and second, not to trust your own interpretation of others' statements. If you are in a bad mood and looking for trouble, you may interpret a comment negatively, whereas if you are in a peaceful state of mind, your interpretation may be the opposite, resulting in an altogether different conversation.
You cannot enter into anyone else's mind and know exactly how they are thinking at at the moment, nor can you expect anyone else to know what is going on in the maze of your mind. You alone are responsible for your reactions to the words of others.
Many arguments erupt because we interpret words according to what they mean to us rather than to the speaker. Understanding that words are nothing more than concepts with a meaning understood individually and notnecessarily identically by everyone, your perspective will quickly expand. You will discover that words are only the beginning—a means of opening the mind to receive a thought. To bring this expanded perspective to the messages you convey, imagine that every word has a hundred meanings. Accepting that your words have different meanings to different people will greatly improve your ability to communicate without conflict because that concept will force you to choose your words carefully. Conversely, remember that when you listen, you have that many meanings combined with the same amount from the speaker. The potential for misunderstanding is infinite. It is only by chance that we can communicate effectively.
Problems can arise when you make the false assumption that since we speak the same language, all words have the same meaning to each of us. Illusions like this are the cause of conflicts. Objective acceptance that things are not as clear as they appear and that the rest of the world does not necessarily think the same way you do will solve many problems before they begin.
And so .. i think its a good book and its actually the right time :)
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