Losing Your Touch

“Its happening more and more often isn’t it?”

We tell a joke or communicate an issue and are replied with a variable of what the person just said.

“I think its happening more and more often, don’t you?”

See how very annoying and aggravating it can be. I’ve asked you the same thing twice, with a slight variation. I think that proves the point.

Basically, what they’re attempting to say is, “You didn’t answer me satisfactorily the first time, so I’ll try again.’ And if you don’t answer them adequately the second time, they might try again, or they might even get frustrated and impatient. See where I’m coming from?

This can be annoying, and is a common symptom of breakdowns in relationships. “I talk but you never listen,” may sound a tad cliché for those who are in a relationship who are reading this.

What to Do if This Happens

Well, I’ve compiled a whole list of stuff below. follow these and you’ll be talking all the time to the other half.

First time round, if you are not understood, pause momentarily and briefly reflect, see if there is a misunderstanding on your part or ask if you need to clarify something. Respect for you will be gained each time you do this as you’re trying to understand them and their issue more.

1. Answer the question anyway; no matter what…the most likely thing is that they’re question is coming from a different direction than where you originally thought
2. Listen hard and without complaining. Apologize if you miss something and never get to the stage where you haven’t listened.
3. Imagine being back in school, in a classroom. When you talk out of place, a teacher will tell you off, when you don’t listen-you don’t know what work to do. Value what the person is saying and catalog it even if you think it ridiculous. If you don’t understand, look at it from all angles whilst occupying the other person with something else.