Miscommunication can ignite wars and
tragedies so what should we do to prevent
miscommunication from happening as we relate to other cultures or other
people from different cultures?
A relative and I had a long-standing miscommunication. I wept for years because of her, I had included her in my
prayers and fasting because of a seemingly increasing gap between the two of
us. I heard things that she told about me that hurt me a lot which resulted in
me moving away from her. Although, I have tried my own ways to speak with her,
to humble myself and be open about my feelings I got excuses and justification
instead of admission or assurance of a better relationship which for me was like rubbing salt to the wound which made me go farther from her. I never tried to
open up again because it felt more painful maybe because we both expected
different ways of making up. That was why I have decided to put a wall for me
not to be hurt again. The miscommunication had brought me despair and many nights
of sobbing that resulted in an unhealthy relationship and environment. Lately, I have heard from
her that she was confused about me moving away, she felt that I was putting a wall
and for her, if I don’t like her then she won’t force herself on me. I prayed
for so many years for Heavenly Father to enlighten us and guide us. Then,
something happened that made us closer together. We ended consoling each other,
laughing with each other, and dreaming big for each other. Now, I always try to
be open about my feelings and I also try to understand where she is coming from
when she speaks her feelings. Although I do not agree with everything she
stands for, I respect, understand, and pray for her. I give her advices but
I do not impose on her because that is her life. I also feel that she
understands me even when she is not amenable to what I am saying. We are
exactly different people but what is important, is we are alright and love comes between
us. She is a sweet, caring, and helpful person. She can stand up for me. She is also cool and one thing
I discover about her she thinks about my welfare. If we have the same
nationality and we were not able to escape from miscommunication and the effects
of such, how much more with having miscommunication towards people from a different
culture? It is really unavoidable! So what should we do? On the other hand,
what if people understand one another and communicate effectively with one
another? They will surely live harmoniously, happily, and peacefully. They will help each other to be the best version of themselves.
People behave in different ways. We
have stereotype traits such as Asian people and people from Latin America being
conservative in speaking. They have high regard for the feelings of others and they do not hurt anyone with their words. They choose the appropriate words to convey
messages which may also bring confusion from others who are direct, assertive, and
confident in expressing their thoughts and emotions. While Americans are frank
and on point. I experienced working in a school where we
have an American leader. We were advised to be attentive to what he says and always
be assertive in expressing our thoughts. To be honest, one or two teachers
avoided him, while others tried to please him. He even made a comment to one of
our colleagues by saying, are you expecting me to praise you? Then, I just
heard that he left the school and I told myself maybe it did not work out well.
But to be honest, being enrolled in Pathway Worldwide and BYU Idaho Online program, I have realized a lot of things and learned many things about other people coming from a different culture. I have discovered how wonderful and loving they are. They are all my inspiration. We need to continuously learn and dig deeper. We should not hastily draw conclusions or judge others. We never know how amazing people are until we know and comprehend their culture and help them to know our way of life. We should always see the good things in others. We should always reflect and understand what message they are conveying through their words and non-verbal cues. Understanding each other unlocks division and alienation towards one another. How about you? What do you think should you do to avoid cultural miscommunication?
Hello Racquel,
ReplyDeleteYour experience was a little bit hard and when we had this kind of situations in my case I prefer to be far away from that person but there is the other side of the coin. When I feel and I have the same feeling many times I prefer to ask to that person about the misunderstanding .
Like you I've learned a lot in this course about different countries and how I can understand better the way they are thinking and their culture