Human Relations

Many close relationships in the world are held intact because of a common bond which in most cases is good communication. Learning to understand someone gives a feeling of knowledge and closeness. The better people get along, the more connected they feel towards each other. But vice-versa has the same effect. A lack of understanding always comes back to a lack of communication. And as we read in Tannen's article of Sex, Lies and Conversation, most women interviewed and even some men, gave the reason for a divorce as lack of communication. This occurs within people who love each other the most, and most certaintly happens between people at work, at schools, on the streets, etc. Not understanding someone can lead to bad places, because you never know what their motives are. And when people don't know why someone is doing something, it inevetably only leads to mistrust and fear.

When people don't see eye to eye, it seems that conflict is but around the corner. People shut them selfs off from people who they don't understand, simply believing that their ideas and beliefs are wrong and mislead. And sometimes this can overlook a person completely. This is exactly how one can overlook people and their knowledge that they bring. We can be too easy to judge and not give people a chance. Like Tan's article called Mother Tongue, so many people over looked her mother because of her strong accent. This is probably one of the highest causes of miscommunication in America and throughout the world. People who have to adapt to a new culture are seen as mediocre and dull. Which is anything but the truth. The fact is they come from a different part of the world where people communicate differently and ideas are spread differently, but not at a lower level. No culture is plain or weak. Every culture brings its own knowledge and ideas, that are both strong and complex. Yet humans have a hard time understanding each other, and that's were the belief of "stupid" people comes from.

If people gave more of a chance to understand each other, more things could be shared and learned between one another.