misunderstanding essay

Essay on Misunderstanding Between You and Your Friend

Students are often asked to write an essay on Misunderstanding Between You and Your Friend in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Misunderstanding Between You and Your Friend

Introduction.

Misunderstandings can occur between friends, causing distress and confusion. This essay explores a personal experience of misunderstanding with a friend.

The Incident

My best friend and I had a misunderstanding. She thought I had shared her secret with others, which I had not.

This misunderstanding caused a rift in our friendship. We stopped talking to each other for a while, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Eventually, we discussed the issue. I explained my side and she understood. Our friendship was restored, stronger than before.

Misunderstandings can strain friendships, but open communication can help resolve them.

250 Words Essay on Misunderstanding Between You and Your Friend

The genesis of misunderstanding.

Misunderstandings are an inevitable part of human relationships, often resulting from differences in communication styles, perceptions, and expectations. When it comes to friendships, misunderstandings can create a rift, impacting the bond shared.

Communication Breakdown

A primary cause of misunderstandings is a breakdown in communication. Often, we assume our friends understand our thoughts and feelings without explicit articulation. This presumption can lead to misinterpretation, causing misunderstandings. For example, a friend may interpret your silence as indifference when you’re merely preoccupied with personal issues.

Perceptual Differences

Another factor is perceptual differences. Each individual perceives situations through their unique lens, shaped by their experiences and beliefs. Thus, a single situation can be interpreted differently by two friends, leading to conflicts. For instance, one might view a joke as harmless fun, while the other perceives it as offensive.

Unfulfilled Expectations

Friendships often involve unstated expectations. When these are unmet, it can lead to misunderstandings. For instance, if you expect your friend to support you in a disagreement and they choose to remain neutral, you might feel betrayed.

Resolving Misunderstandings

To resolve misunderstandings, open and honest communication is key. Discussing the issue, acknowledging each other’s feelings, and empathizing can help mend the relationship. Moreover, setting clear expectations and understanding each other’s perceptions can prevent future misunderstandings.

In conclusion, while misunderstandings in friendships are common, they can be resolved and even prevented through effective communication, empathy, and understanding.

500 Words Essay on Misunderstanding Between You and Your Friend

Misunderstandings are an inevitable part of human interaction. Regardless of the depth of a relationship, there are instances where communication breaks down, leading to confusion and discord. This essay explores a personal experience of misunderstanding between myself and a close friend.

The Birth of the Misunderstanding

The incident occurred during our final year of college. My friend, whom I’ll refer to as Alex, and I were partners for a significant project. We had divided the responsibilities equally. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to meet my commitment for a week. I had informed Alex about this in advance, but perhaps I hadn’t communicated the gravity of the situation effectively.

The Escalation

When I returned, I found Alex overwhelmed with the accumulated workload. He was upset that I had left him to fend for himself during a crucial time. I felt guilty for my absence but also a sense of injustice, as I had informed him beforehand. This misunderstanding led to a rift between us. We were no longer just project partners dealing with academic stress; we were close friends navigating through a maze of hurt feelings and miscommunication.

Understanding the Misunderstanding

Reflecting on the situation, I realized that the misunderstanding was rooted in our differing perceptions of the same situation. While I saw my absence as unavoidable and communicated in advance, Alex saw it as an abdication of responsibility during a critical period. This disparity in our viewpoints was the real culprit behind our conflict.

Resolution and Reconciliation

Recognizing the need to address the issue, I initiated a conversation with Alex. We both shared our perspectives openly and honestly. I acknowledged his feelings of abandonment and apologized for not making my situation clearer. Alex, in turn, understood my predicament and admitted that he could have sought help from others during my absence. This conversation was a turning point in resolving our misunderstanding.

Lessons Learned

The incident taught us the importance of effective communication, empathy, and understanding in maintaining healthy relationships. We learned that misunderstandings, while unpleasant, can serve as catalysts for strengthening bonds if handled with maturity and openness.

In conclusion, misunderstandings between friends are not uncommon. However, they can be resolved by open communication, empathy, and a willingness to understand each other’s perspectives. This incident with Alex served as a valuable lesson in how to navigate through misunderstandings and, in the process, has deepened our friendship.

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Misunderstanding Essay

This essay sample on Misunderstanding Essay provides all necessary basic information on this matter, including the most common “for and against” arguments. Below are the introduction, body and conclusion parts of this essay.

“Not only the entire ability to think rests on language… but language is also the crux of the misunderstanding of reason with itself. ” This quote by Johann G. Hamann talks about language and how it can be misunderstood. What he means is if you don’t understand someone because you don’t speak that language how things are going to work out.

Everything will just be you listening to someone but you can’t comprehend what the person is saying. Just like in the two short stories “Wrong Channel” by Roberto Fernandez and “The True Story of Mr. and Mrs.

Wong” by Marilyn Chin. In the two stories both main characters are in disbelief of what is going on in the culture around them. In the short story “Wrong Channel” by Roberto Fernandez, the main character Barbarita is a Cuban immigrant in the United States.

This story portrays a miscommunication between cultures. In the beginning Barbarita was waiting nervously in her home. We know that she was nervous because the first line in the story says “Barbarita waited impatiently for her ride as beads of sweat dripped from her eyebrows into her third cup of cold syrupy espresso”.

Barbarita’s friend Mima had pulled up and told Barbarita to make sure she looks healthy for the doctor. Here we find out that Barbarita is living in Miami and going to the doctors to get her green card.

Proficient in: Behavior

“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”

At the doctor’s office Barbarita was more nervous than ever she knocked over the reader’s digest and bibles off the table in the office. Before entering the exam room we friend out that not only is Mima a friend but also an interrupter for Barbarita.

Mr And Mrs Wong

When the doctor entered the room he wanted to know if Barbarita had ever had TB (Tuberculosis), but because of the accent in America, Mima had misunderstood the doctor causing Barbarita to be confused. Mima thought the doctor asked if she had a TV which is funny because no matter the language it is easy to misunderstand because they sound the same. Barbarita did not understand why the doctor wanted to know if she had a TV, and why it mattered to get her green card. Mima says to Barbarita “How many times did I tell you you needed to buy one?

Don’t you know, Barbarita? This is America”. This story gave a lot of insight about how easy it is to misunderstand someone. It could be just the way it was said or the lack of knowledge about different cultures. In the Short Story “The True Story of Mr. and Mrs. Wong” by Marilyn Chin, Mr. Wong is a very wealthy Chinese man and only wants one thing to have a son. Mr. Wong and his Wife have four daughters but in Chinese culture it is socially acceptable to have a son, who will carry on the family name.

We found out in the story that Mr. Wong’s wife cannot bear him a son. When he found this out he was very angry and yelled “What do you get from a turtle’s rotten womb but rotten turtle eggs? ” In this quote he is comparing his wife to a rotten turtle because she is not able to produce what he wants. Mr. Wong gets fed up and quickly marries off three of his daughters, which all go to guys with very decent jobs. The other daughter ran off to Hollywood, she just needed to get away from it all and start a new life there. Mr.

Wong is in disbelief about his wife so he decides to get a divorce. An irony in the story is that the wife ends up being a beautician for the dead, but it is ironic because she was basically dead to her husband. As the story continues Mr. Wong finds a new bride and although she could not conceive at first it was okay. After surgery on her womb to remove polyps she was able to give Mr. Wong three boys. In the end it was funny that he got his three boys but none of them carried on his family business but all became tax accountants. Mr.

Wong just wanted to fit in and be like his family before him, to have someone who would carry on your name and be proud of it. Mr. Wong couldn’t believe how difficult it was to have a son and blamed his wife for their problems. In these two stories there are many similarities but also a deal of differences. One similarity is both stories are written by a third person narrative. Third person narrative allows us as readers to get a sense of feeling and thought to what the characters are going through. Unlike first person neither the narrator nor the character is in the story.

Another similarity between the stories is that both portray a feeling a confusing. In the first story the confusion is between TV and TB and it’s important because without that information she doesn’t get a green card. In the other story even though his confusion may not be as noticeable as the other story it is still there. Mr. Wong doesn’t know why his wife couldn’t bear him a son, he thought she was dirty and couldn’t take it anymore. He had a find another woman and hope she could give him a son and he would learn the family business but things didn’t go as planned.

Some differences from bother stories are that they are talking about two different cultures Cuban and Chinese. Chinese believe that the things they do in life should stay within the family and that’s why families needed to bear a son. In the Cuban society it didn’t matter what sex you were but how well you learned. The two main characters in both stories are very different from each other. Barbarita is a Cuban lady who just wants to get her green card and be happy in the states. She is very nervous and not too sure about her surroundings.

Now Mr. Wong on the other hand he is very angry and delirious. Wants one thing but can’t just seem to get it all together. Each story has its own special meaning and understanding about different cultures. From these two stories we can see how language ties in to culture. If you don’t know something it could be misunderstood. Even though these stories may not be so similar they both deal with two separate cultures. If in one culture things are done a certain way, it might be looked at differently by someone from another culture.

Being able to understand a culture and finding ways to deal with those surroundings are difficult. This doesn’t mean that Mr. Wong in the second story is wrong for wanting a son. This is part of his culture where sons are just worth more to the Chinese. Barbarita can’t understand why someone needs a TV to be an American but she doesn’t realize TV isn’t what the doctor meant. Each culture can be looked at in different ways but in the end it’s about doing what’s best for you. Being able to learn about your surroundings and making choices from them.

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By Heidi Burgess

Original Publication September 2003, updated June 2013. Current Implications added by Heidi Burgess in August, 2017.

Current Implications

This article talks about misunderstandings between different cultures...particularly highlighting high-context cultures with low-context cultures. We are now seeing in the United States, how there can be cultural misunderstandings between groups that appear on the surface to be quite similar. More...

Social conflicts often involve some misunderstanding. Parties in conflict communicate by what they say (or do not say) and how they behave toward each other. Even normal interaction may involve faulty communication, but conflict seems to worsen the problem. When two people are in conflict, they often make negative assumptions about "the other." Consequently, a statement that might have seemed innocuous when two parties were friends might seem hostile or threatening when the same parties are in conflict.

Sources of Misunderstanding

All communication has two parts: a sender and a receiver. The sender has a message he or she intends to transmit, and s/he puts it in words, which, to her/him, best reflect what s/he is thinking. But many things can intervene to prevent the intended message from being received accurately.

If the communication is verbal, tone of voice can influence interpretation. The boss's words, "Hey, I noticed you were taking an especially long break this morning," could be interpreted as an attack if she or he said that in a disapproving tone, while the comment might be seen as a minor reminder about office rules if it was said in a friendly way. If the employee has a health problem that sometimes requires long breaks, the comment might have even been a friendly inquiry about what was happening and whether the employee needed any help. Here, tone of voice as well as situational and relationship factors would influence the interpretation of the message.

Nonverbal cues also are important. Is the sender's posture open and friendly, or closed and cold? Is her facial expression friendly or accusatory? All of these factors influence how the same words will be received.

In addition to how the message is sent, many additional factors determine how the receiver interprets the message. All new information we learn is compared with the knowledge we already have. If it confirms what we already know, we will likely receive the new information accurately, though we may pay little attention to it. If it calls into question our previous assumptions or interpretation of the situation, we may distort it in our minds so that it is made to fit our world view, or we may dismiss the information as deceptive, misguided, or simply wrong.

If the message is ambiguous, the receiver is especially likely to clarify it for him or herself in a way which corresponds with his or her expectations. For example, if two people are involved in an escalated conflict, and they each assume that the other is going to be aggressive and hostile, then any ambiguous message will be interpreted as aggressive and hostile, even if it was not intended to be that way at all. Our expectations work as blinders or filters that distort what we see so that it fits our preconceived images of the world. (Conflict theorists call these filters "frames." See the essay on Frames, Framing, and Reframing for more information.)

An analogy can be made to an experiment that tested people's interpretation of visual cues. When people were given eyeglasses that turned the world upside-down, they had to suffer through with upside-down images for a week or two. After that, their brains learned to reverse the images, so they were seeing things right-side up again. The same thing happens when we hear something we "know" is wrong. Our brains "fix" it so that it appears as we expect it to.

Cultural differences increase the likelihood of misunderstanding as well. If people speak different languages, the danger of bad translation is obvious. But even if people speak the same language, they may communicate in different ways.

Common differences are between high-context and low-context communication . Low-context communication stands on its own; it does not require context or interpretation to give it meaning. High-context communication is more ambiguous. It requires background knowledge and understanding (context), in addition to the words themselves, for communication. While everyone uses both kinds of communication, Western cultures tend to use low-context communication more often, while Eastern and Latin American and African cultures tend to use high-context communication. If such differences are not understood and adjusted for, misunderstanding is almost inevitable.[1]

Culture also affects communication by influencing the recipients' assumptions. As described above, our minds try to twist incoming information to make it fit in our worldview . Since different cultures have very different worldviews, cross-cultural communication is especially likely to change meaning between sender and receiver, as the sender may have a very different worldview from the receiver.

Given our tendency to hear what we expect to hear, it is very easy for people in conflict to misunderstand each other. Communication is already likely to be strained, and people will often want to hide the truth to some extent. Thus the potential for misperception and misunderstanding is high, which can make conflict management or resolution more difficult.

How to Avoid Misunderstanding

In conflict situations, avoiding misunderstanding takes a lot of effort. Roger Fisher and William Ury list four skills that can improve communication in conflict situations.

• The first is active listening . The goal of active listening, they say, is to understand your opponent as well as you understand yourself. Pay close attention to what the other side is saying. Ask the opponent to clarify or repeat anything that is unclear or seems unreasonable (maybe it isn't, but you are interpreting it wrong). Attempt to repeat their case, as they have presented it, back to them. This shows that you are listening (which suggests that you care what they have to say) and that you understand what they have said. It does not indicate that you agree with what they said, nor do you have to. You just need to indicate that you do understand them. [2]
• Fisher and Ury's second rule is to speak directly to your opponent. This is not considered appropriate in some cultures, but when permitted, it helps to increase understanding. Avoid being distracted by others, or by other things going on in the same room. Focus on what you have to say, and on saying it in a way that your opponent can understand.
• Their third rule is to speak about yourself, not about your opponent. Describe your own feelings and perceptions, rather than focusing on your opponent's motives, misdeeds, or failings. By saying, "I felt let down," rather than "You broke your promise," you will convey the same information, in a way that does not provoke a defensive or hostile reaction from your opponent. This is often referred to as using " I-statements " or "I-messages," rather than "you-messages." You-messages suggest blame, and encourage the recipient to deny wrongdoing or to blame in return. I-messages simply state a problem, without blaming someone for it. This makes it easier for the other side to help solve the problem, without having to admit they were wrong.
• Fisher and Ury's fourth rule is "speak for a purpose." Too much communication can be counterproductive, they warn. Before you make a significant statement, pause and consider what you want to communicate, why you want to communicate that, and how you can do it in the clearest possible way.

Other rules might be added to these four. One is to avoid inflammatory language much as possible. Inflammatory language just increases hostility and defensiveness; it seldom convinces people that the speaker is right. (Actually, it usually does just the opposite.) Although inflammatory remarks can arouse people's interest in a conflict and generate support for one's own side, that support often comes at the cost of general conflict escalation . Making one's point effectively without inflammatory statements is a better option.

Likewise, all opponents should be treated with respect. It doesn't help a conflict situation to treat people disrespectfully; it just makes them angry and less likely to listen to you, understand you, or do what you want. No matter what you think of another person, if they are treated with respect and dignity -- even if you think they do not deserve it -- communication will be much more successful, and the conflict will be more easily managed or resolved. Engaging in deep conversations (through problem-solving workshops or dialogues ) can also reduce misunderstanding by improving relationships , by providing more context to communication, and by breaking down stereotypes that contribute to negative characterizations or worldviews. The more effort one makes to understand the person sending the message, the more likely the message will be understood correctly.

This article talks about misunderstandings between different cultures...particularly highlighting high-context cultures with low-context cultures. We are now seeing in the United States, how there can be cultural misunderstandings between groups that appear on the surface to be quite similar. Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. are mostly all low-context communicators, yet they seem to be almost completely talking past each other. Each sees the world in fundamentally different ways--their interests are different, their understanding of facts is different, their reasons for advocating various policies are different.

Certainly some of this difference is the result of media manipulation, which spawns not only misunderstanding, but distrust and even hatred as a result of propaganda. Extreme stereotyping of "the other," also prevents effective cross-group communication, so when communication between groups occurs (which is becoming increasingly rare as we self-segregate into different parts of the country), the messages are very likely to be misinterpreted.

Much needs to be done to get the right and the left talking at all. But once they start, mediators or facilitators are going to be needed to try to reduce misunderstandings and build a groundwork for coexistence and tolerance.

This is one area where every individual can make a difference. When we talk to our family members who have different belief systems, for example, take care to use good conflict communication skills (see particularly the articles on empathic listening and I-messages) among others, instead of escalatory communication. This grave conflict within the United States is only going to be defused (if it is), one conversation at a time--and it is incumbent upon all of us to start having those disarming, de-escalatory conversations.

Heidi Burgess, August, 2017.

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[2] Edward T. Hall,  Beyond Culture . (New York: Anchor/Doubleday, 1971)

[2] We have more detail on active listening on this website in an article called empathic listening --because the author argued that empathy and listening were too closely linked to write two different articles--so he combined them into one.  

Use the following to cite this article: Burgess, Heidi. "Misunderstandings." Beyond Intractability . Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Conflict Information Consortium, University of Colorado, Boulder. Posted: September 2003 < http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/misunderstandings >.

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The Biggest Misunderstanding

Human beings have the basic need to be understood. Some of our closest relations are forged on the basis of mutual understanding, trust and respect. In our life sojourn, we tend to gravitate towards people with whom we feel understood and share a mental wave-length. Being emotionally in sync with another human being helps us thrive and keeps us happy.

So, it came as no surprise to me when found myself falling rapidly in love with ‘he’ walked into my life. Here was a person who didn’t need to be told/expressed what my heart’s deepest desires were. He was so invested that it came naturally to him to be the way he was and yet make me feel completely understood. It was the rare kind of relation you experience once in a lifetime. A great human being, generous and magnanimous to the core, either he was perfect or I was blinded, in love to believe so.

To set the record straight our love was star-crossed right from the outset. Ours was an inter-community thing, which in the remotest by-lanes of a small town held a lot of significance. His parents who were dead opposed right from the start, made it amply clear that they would have nothing todo with us in case we went ahead.However, the man was steadfast in his decision and we set up to our own abode based on the love we had for each other, as the only asset.

 A month into this union and in walks his sister with her toddler after  leaving behind a fractured relationship which had left her utterly broken and embittered and brought nothing into her young life except an adorable munchkin . Though she was putting up at her parents place, yet she was a constant fixture in our house and my husband, left no stone unturned to help her gather the ruins of her life and stand up on her feet.

Young, bubbly and spirited as she was, she made the most of this opportunity, landed up with a job and was set to stride forth with confidence and élan in her life.My husband and I were in perfect sync, all this while, as in all the rest of the things we did in our life to bring back happiness in her life. However, his parents and he, secretly kept nurturing the hope that my sister and her husband would once again be reconciled eventually since divorce and separation were still unheard of, in these quarters.

However all this changed one fateful evening. The doorbell rang as I came back from work. I opened it to find my sister-in-law standing on the door holding the hands of her employer, a man from the same community to which I belonged, declaring her love and her decision to spend the rest of her life with him. The fact that his family had welcomed her and her son with open arms only bolstered their conviction to be true to each other. I was happy for her but I knew the road ahead was treacherous. I implored her not to rush into things and take thingsslowly, giving ample time to the father and brother who had held her hands steadfastly throughout to come to terms with the changing scenario. I promised to speak to my husband, making him see the love and reason behind this union. 

Time, however, conspired to create the irrefutable rift of misunderstanding between us. Before I could reach out to my husband, word reached the ears of her father and he suffered a massive cardiac arrest. The sister – in law chose to walk out hand-in hand with the love of her life and the toddler, in tow, while my husband remained behind to tend to his ailing and heart-broken parents. He never openly accused me of anything but since that date, he confessed that deserting his parents, twice, and in his hour of grief will never be an option. He never came back. The fact that the sister-in-law chose to confess in me before she allowed access to him or his parents, the fact that he belonged to the same community to which I did was enough to indict me. Without speaking a single word the chasm of understanding between us had created an immeasurable rift and set us asunder.

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The Story about Misunderstanding - Essay Example

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Home / Samples / Culture / Multiculturalism / What Can I Say about Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding: Narrative Essay

What Can I Say about Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding: Narrative Essay

Cross-cultural misunderstanding is a complex and multifaceted issue that permeates various aspects of our increasingly globalized world. In this narrative essay, I will explore the nuances of cross-cultural misunderstandings, drawing upon personal experiences, historical examples, and current events to illustrate the profound impact these misunderstandings can have on individuals, communities, and international relations.

1. Introduction to Cross-Cultural Misunderstanding

The concept of cross-cultural misunderstanding arises when individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds interact and misinterpret each other’s words, actions, or intentions. This can be due to differences in language, non-verbal communication, social norms, values, and belief systems. Such misunderstandings can lead to conflict, strained relationships, and missed opportunities for cooperation and understanding.

2. Personal Experience

My first significant encounter with cross-cultural misunderstanding occurred during a study abroad program in Japan. Coming from a Western background, I was unfamiliar with the subtle nuances of Japanese etiquette and non-verbal communication. A simple gesture, like maintaining direct eye contact, which is considered a sign of confidence and honesty in my culture, was perceived as rude and confrontational in Japan. This misunderstanding led to awkward interactions and the need for me to adapt quickly to avoid offending my hosts.

3. Historical Perspectives

Historically, cross-cultural misunderstandings have had significant impacts. For instance, during the age of exploration, European explorers often misinterpreted the customs and intentions of indigenous peoples, leading to conflicts and exploitation. The colonization of Africa and the Americas, driven by misunderstandings and ethnocentric views, had devastating effects on native populations and their cultures.

4. Current Events

In today’s interconnected world, cross-cultural misunderstandings continue to influence international relations and global politics. Misinterpretations of religious or cultural practices can lead to diplomatic incidents or fuel stereotypes and prejudices. For example, the wearing of traditional Islamic attire like the burqa or hijab has often been misunderstood in Western societies, leading to debates over cultural identity and religious freedom.

5. The Role of Language

Language barriers are a primary cause of cross-cultural misunderstandings. The subtleties of language, including idioms, colloquialisms, and tone, can be lost in translation, leading to misinterpretations. For example, directness in communication is valued in some cultures, while in others, it is considered rude and disrespectful.

6. Non-Verbal Communication

Non-verbal communication, such as gestures, facial expressions, and body language, varies significantly across cultures. What is considered a friendly gesture in one culture may be seen as offensive in another. Understanding these differences is crucial in avoiding misinterpretation.

7. Social Norms and Values

Differences in social norms and values can also lead to misunderstandings. Practices related to dining etiquette, punctuality, and dress codes vary widely and can cause confusion and discomfort if not understood and respected.

8. Impact on Business and Global Economy

In the business world, cross-cultural misunderstandings can lead to failed negotiations, poor customer relations, and loss of opportunities. Understanding cultural differences is essential for companies operating in the global market to build strong relationships and effectively communicate with partners and clients from different cultures.

9. Education and Awareness

Education and awareness are key to addressing and preventing cross-cultural misunderstandings. Cultural exchange programs, language studies, and training in intercultural communication can help individuals develop the skills and understanding necessary to navigate cultural differences effectively.

10. Personal Growth and Development

Experiencing and learning from cross-cultural interactions can lead to personal growth and development. It broadens one’s perspective, enhances empathy, and fosters a deeper appreciation for diversity.

11. The Role of Media and Technology

Media and technology play a significant role in shaping perceptions of different cultures. Responsible media representation and the use of technology to facilitate cross-cultural communication can help bridge gaps and reduce misunderstandings.

12. Overcoming Challenges

Overcoming cross-cultural misunderstandings requires patience, open-mindedness, and a willingness to learn and adapt. It involves actively listening, asking questions for clarification, and being mindful of one’s own biases and preconceptions.

13. Conclusion

Cross-cultural misunderstanding is an inevitable part of our global society. By recognizing and addressing these misunderstandings, we can foster a more harmonious and interconnected world. The key lies in embracing diversity, practicing empathy, and committing to continuous learning and adaptation.

This narrative essay highlights the complexity and significance of cross-cultural misunderstandings, offering insights into how we can navigate and overcome these challenges for a more understanding and inclusive world.

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Mind Reading

How to resolve a misunderstanding, use these communication tips for getting along with anyone..

Posted July 22, 2015 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

The majority of conflict can often be traced to a simple misunderstanding. Pride, however, gets in the way as some people falsely believe that to misunderstand somehow implies fault, ignorance, lack of intelligence , and/or not having a grasp on reality. Reality is subjective. Every single person has a different point of view based on experience, triggers, culture, and a host of other items. The key in healthy communication is to understand how difficult communication can actually be and to seek to bridge the inevitable barriers that lead to misunderstanding.

To illustrate, one of my favorite examples of a misunderstanding that nearly broke a relationship was the story of my mom and dad’s first (almost) date.

My parents were teenagers when my mom moved to the same street two doors down from my father. A beautiful bright-eyed teenager with a big heart and sensitive soul, my father was immediately smitten yet took some time to become friends and then asked her out. Excited for her date, my mother spent all day with her best friend shopping in downtown San Francisco for the perfect outfit and getting her hair and makeup done. After the long day of girl fun and date prep, my dad stopped by to discuss the date details (it was a couple’s date) and time he’d come back to get her. He then asked her the fatal question that could have broken them up before they even got started (which felt extra scary when my mom told the story as it meant my brother, sister and I wouldn’t have been born)—he asked what she was going to wear. My mom was already dressed in her new outfit that she spent all of her money on and would recount that it was the nicest item she owned. She felt mortified and inadequate by his question, so she lied and said she didn’t know what she’d wear. Later she phoned him and said she wasn’t feeling well and backed out of the date. He thought she wasn’t interested in him and took someone else out instead that night. I’m not even sure when the truth came out or how they managed to work past all of that. Yet, somehow they did and perhaps that episode helped them realize that you can’t always believe what you think the other person is communicating.

In the book, “The Art of Listening,” Michael Nichols describes that even the simplest communication has multiple components that run the risk of creating misunderstanding: the listener and the speaker, their different points of view, the words they speak and the different meaning each word has for each person, the implicit message (intent versus actual words), the context, and the process of flow. Moreover, the process is more circular in nature yet might be interpreted in a more linear fashion. If this doesn’t sound complicated enough, imagine adding lots of emotion , expectations, fears, and triggers. Again, it’s a miracle any message can get across to anyone .

In addition, Nichols says that we are trained not to say what we mean from an early age. He describes that as a child, he was taught not to ask for anything at someone’s house. If he was thirsty, he would try to look extra thirsty. If offered a glass of water, he would politely decline. Then, only if they insisted, would he graciously accept the offer.

We are like perpetual people pleasers hoping the other person can read our minds and understand the game and art of mindreading. The problem is the game does not work and we generally get things wrong—no matter how “in tune” we are with others.

Listen . While seemingly obvious, many people begin crafting their reply without really listening to the other person. Or they become so emotionally charged that they are hearing the person through filters from their past or from what they think the person is saying. In addition, listen to the entire content the person is conveying. Oftentimes, people hear the beginning sentences and jump on that conclusion without realizing the person was going to go in a different direction.

Repeat . Try not to echo, yet take the time to repeat what you’ve heard and ask if that is what the person is conveying. Don’t be afraid to say “Did I understand you correctly? Are you preferring that we go to the movies instead of dinner?” or “Are you concerned that we won’t make the deadline, so you want to get a better grasp of what we’ve done to date and how long it will take?” Or, if it feels like the person is saying one thing while really expressing something else (the meta-message), you can respond with, “It might be me, yet you seem a little distant and I realize I’ve been preoccupied lately. Is that what’s bothering you or is there something else that’s weighing on your heart?”

Share. Communication is a two-way street. When one person opens up and shares their experience, reciprocate. “Oh that is how you felt. This is what I was experiencing…” Be vulnerable and do your best to articulate your feelings. Lose the pride, as pride is the enemy of honest communication.

Be flexible. Know that in spite of all of your efforts, there may still be a misunderstanding. That’s okay. Every person has a different point of view, so no two people see things exactly the same. There is no right or wrong, just the mutual sharing of different experiences on the journey of life.

Say "I," not "you." "I statements” are powerful because they keep you where you belong—speaking your feelings from your point of view and sharing your own experience. We can’t speak for others. Only they can share their feelings. We can say we were hurt by a behavior but it crosses a line when we accuse or blame the other person. However, we can say another person’s behavior doesn’t work for us because it makes us feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Telling the other person they are wrong for doing the behavior or telling them what they feel is not our business or our place (because we actually don’t know). As my good friend Rod says, “Stay in your own hula hoop.”

Learn. You’ve had a misunderstanding. Perhaps it was even cataclysmic. Grow and learn from it. Use it to foster closeness in that relationship or others. Definitely use it to create a greater awareness of what you think and feel and how you speak and listen. We are all in this life to learn and grow, so be gentle on yourself and trust the process.

Pause. If a conflict does occur as a result of a misunderstanding, give it time. Either pause a moment before reacting and try to gather clarification so you can respond , or ask for time to process. Either way, time heals all wounds—eventually.

Use these tips and keep trying. Enjoy the good feelings when you feel understood and can understand the other person, and learn from the times misunderstandings occur. The most basic need of humankind is the need for others and a sense of belonging and connectedness, so working on your listening and communication skills is truly the best gift you can give yourself and the world. We all need each other.

Kimberly Key, Ph.D., is past division president of the American Counseling Association and author of Ten Keys to Staying Empowered in a Power Struggle.

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Misunderstanding Essays

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The Misunderstanding

By albert camus, the misunderstanding analysis.

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by Timothy Sexton

The audience member sitting in the theater watching a performance of The Misunderstanding can easily be forgiven for any confusion which might arise over whether this playwright named Albert Camus is the same Camus that wrote “ The Myth of Sisyphus .” Arguably the most work by this icon of existentialist literature, “The Myth of Sisyphus” is a short essay that is among the most optimistic expressions of philosophy of all time and certainly of that which was written in the 20th century.

The Misunderstanding creates a sense of misunderstanding among some familiar with that defining text of existential thought because it almost grotesquely pessimistic by comparison. The divergence between incredible optimism that could find in the punishment of Sisyphus to eternally fail in rolling that rock up a hill a joyous embodiment of existence has transformed into an almost nihilistic acceptance of impossibility. Martha and the mother both give voice to the fundamental premise at work in this drama when one observes and the other repeats “this world doesn’t make sense.” The strange thing is that this expression is also true of the world in which the myth of Sisyphus becomes the metaphor of existential spirit.

What is disturbing here is that Camus penned “The Myth of Sisyphus” in 1942 and it was just a year later that The Misunderstanding followed. What happened in the interim that made the perspective of Camus turn so bleak? Interestingly, although the greater majority of criticism of the play identified it as being a dark turn away from the blinding optimism of his treatment of Sisyphus, this is not a viewpoint shared by the author. Although deeply disappointed by the public reaction to the play which would lead ultimately to his consideration of it as a failure, Camus blamed only himself for not successfully putting across the message he intended. It is a failure of transmission: Camus did not see his play as one presenting a nihilistic perspective despite others doing exactly that.

It is difficult to take Camus at his word even though he was an unusually honest artist regarding his work. It is almost beyond conception to imagine that the man who wrote The Misunderstanding could fail to perceive its pervasive darkness. Camus has claimed that the fault in interpretation lies in his inability to make it clear that the narrative turns thematically the failure of certain characters to do small things that, had they been done, would have altered the course of their fate. Fate is always a big deal in the works of Camus. The world is absurd and one cannot change that, but once one accepts this truth, one can become dominion over their response to the absurdity. Camus would one believe that is the lack of dominion by Jan or Martha or Mother to take control over small details of their lives that leads them inexorably toward the bleak end that cannot be denied even by Camus.

This seems unusually disingenuous for Camus. A writer so powerful that he can transform the idea of eternally pushing a rock up an incline almost to the point of getting it all the way up to level only to watch as it once again vainly rolls back to its starting into a success story that celebrates existence should certainly be able to convince an audience that the dark vision of existence which is self-contained in the story of Jan, Martha and Mother is subject to something as simple as agency. But not only is agency lacking in the play, even the possibility of agency is difficult to locate. Perhaps Camus was going through something so personally bleak that he could not come to terms with it.

Whatever the case, when watching The Misunderstanding it is very difficult to reconcile its view of the value of existence with that of the author of “The Myth of Sisyphus.” What’s more, it is difficult to reconcile the explanation by Camus of why this play does not verge precariously close to the edge of outright nihilism. Mother and Martha, it turns out, a quite wrong. It is not the world they inhabit which does not make sense, it is the point of executing any sense of agency over it or making any attempt to approach its absurdity with rationality.

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The Misunderstanding Questions and Answers

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Study Guide for The Misunderstanding

The Misunderstanding study guide contains a biography of Albert Camus, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Misunderstanding
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Essays for The Misunderstanding

The Misunderstanding essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Misunderstanding by Albert Camus.

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Chapter 6: 21st-century media and issues

6.11 Miscommunication and texting (argument from experience)

Aubrey Richardson

English 102, February 2021

Living in a world with multiple forms of technology and ways to communicate, lots of words and emotions can get interpreted in the wrong way. Nowadays texting is becoming more and more popular, so now it is possible that those who text quite often are uncomfortable or awkward with in-person communication. There are so many reasons as to why texting can affect communication such as that texts only allow for one-word, single sentence thoughts and ideas to be acceptable. Truthfully, how many times can you think of that you sent someone a message like that, and it has come out wrong? Or you get a message from someone and you feel instant irritation or attitude. I think this feeling can be the same for everyone because there is no context or information behind these messages other than the rough words, so without that nonverbal communication, you create your own opinion, feeling, or expectation.

I can say myself that this has happened to me more times than I can count on two hands. With the absence of emotion, gestures, and tone, there are very little cues to help clarify what the other person may be trying to tell us. These little mishaps that may happen more often than not, which could start issues just as arguments or the silent treatment.

In the images below, I have shown the same word but the different ways it can be interpreted over text depending on the context. I showed that whether you are a boy, girl, mom or dad the different ways this word can be interpreted as. Like when texting and using one of the “okay’s” you could be saying “k” because you are in a rush or busy. You could be saying “ok” just because you simply mean ok. The other example of the word whatever, my mom uses that in text ALL OF THE TIME, but she is never mad. When she uses it, it means yes for the most part. I never knew that until I asked her if she was mad at me or not but that is just the way she texts. But my point with all of this is, you have no idea what that other person is doing, feeling, typing, or trying to say without either them texting you a message the length of a book or seeing them in person.

My first ever semester of college was this past fall, and I went through a situation as I explained above that could have been completely avoided if it was in person. I was having trouble taking my test on Blackboard and none of my questions would save. Due to this technical difficulty, I thought it would be best to go to my professor and emailed him letting him know the issues I was having with the exam. He didn’t email me back for a little while, so I simply had assumed he was busy, like most professors are around exam time. Well, when he emailed me back, he had what seemed like an attitude or as if he was frustrated with me because he was responding with one-sentence replies. As a result, I began to get frustrated because my test was graded incorrectly, and he was responding with only a couple word answers and no emotion to me is what it seemed. So, after a long day of emailing back and forth and letting me retake the exam, he had apologized about the previous emails if they sounded negative because they were not. He has said that he was remarkably busy because he was grading two other classes exams in the middle of trying to email me back. This is the major problem we face with texting and email communication because, like I said, this was not the only time this happened to me, it was just the most recent. Without being able to “read the room” or see people’s facial expressions it is almost impossible to know what their actual intentions were with that text. People often get caught up with whatever task they have at hand, so not much attention is paid to their text messages, and therefore weakening their virtual communication with others.

The real meaning of a person’s text is often times lost or misunderstood. Also, having these text message conversations loses value and meaning to face-to-face conversations where you are able to use the tone of your voice to set the mood. Often, the structure of the sentence or punctuation conveys the emotions or feelings of that message. We as teens especially are so adapted to the basic grammar, the slang of text messages, punctuation or abbreviations it often translates into school writing. Personally, I can recall sometimes I have been writing a paper or notes and accidentally written “U” instead of “YOU” or “R” instead of “ARE.” All medias like texting are not always negative and do have some positive aspects to them. People nowadays have come out with ways that you can put more emphasis in a text message. Like the use of emojis, with the different faces they convey and colors, shapes, and people. These little things can change a boring message into a more emotional text. But even with that there are cons because you don’t want to be sending smiley faces and hearts to your professors in an email or your boss in a text. This is why the use of face-to-face interaction is so important to be able to see the body language and emphasis on people’s feelings. As weird as this may be, I feel like animals may have this same thought as us humans when it comes to misinterpretation. If you use a high nice voice when you’re saying something mean they will most likely think you’re being nice. Or if you scream and you’re saying something nice, they might think you’re being mean. It Is all about the perception and how you take things.

Another instance that comes to mind that happened to me was my senior year of high school, I was at home and I had just come back from an appointment and I had to speed get ready for my cheer game for a Friday night football game. Prior to my appointment, I sent my coaches a message saying, “I might be late to the bus because I am coming from an appointment 45 minutes away” and they all said okay that’s perfectly fine. So, I thought I was okay to get ready but obviously speed though. I am about to leave and my coach texts me “Hi Aubrey. You were supposed to be to the bus 5 minutes ago. Where are you?” and I was explaining to her how I let her know earlier that I was going to be late to which she explained she forgot. So, I had said I am on my way and she said, “If you are not here in 10 minutes, we are going to have to leave without you.” I thought she was irritated or mad at me, so I tried my best to get there. Well, when I got there, all the girls were laughing because I didn’t even have my shoes on. The whole time it was a joke, but I couldn’t read the humor through the text and I thought she was actually mad.

In conclusion, assumptions can be a very dangerous thing but a lot of times they are made frequently when texting, emailing and using different types of medias. Communication is a vital tool to be able to understand your peers and the environment around you. Everyone says communication is key to anything whether that be a friendship, a relationship or just talking to people in general. The different ways you can utilize your voice and body when having face-to-face communication will not only convey your message to the other person but give it in a direct way like a text or email. When you are verbally speaking to someone, the words you are using are given meaning, while over text the meaning is often times lost. No, texting and emails will never go away and as the years go on, they will most likely grow more dominant. But it is important to use the verbal skills you were taught no matter if you are having a conversation with mom, dad, sister, friends, or a dog.

Understanding Literacy in Our Lives by Aubrey Richardson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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A Salty Young Critic Explains Internet Culture, Patiently

Famed for her fearless literary takedowns, Lauren Oyler adopts a softer tone in the new essay collection “No Judgment.”

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Erin Somers is a reporter for Publishers Lunch and the author of “Stay Up With Hugo Best.”

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NO JUDGMENTS: Essays, by Lauren Oyler

Why do people like to watch boxing? We admire the fighters: their guts, their footwork. It is elegant yet brutal. It entertains. It is a form of proxy violence — someone else being hit and doing the hitting — that taps into our primal urges.

Lauren Oyler made her name as a pugilist. Her breakout essay on the website BookSlut famously begins, “I have always hated Roxane Gay’s writing.” Her reviews get attention partly because she voices the criticism that one may be too politic to express. Typically, that criticism is harsh. Typically, it is funny. Even her 2021 debut novel, “Fake Accounts,” contains a 40-page parody of the fragmentary novel form that was dominant in that moment, especially among women writers. It goes on for so long that the reader has time to love it, hate it, become exasperated with it, resign herself to it and, finally, admire its diabolical commitment.

Now Oyler has returned with “No Judgment,” a collection of eight essays written specifically for the book. Her sense of humor is present, as is her agile thinking. But fans of blood sport won’t find much here to satisfy their baser appetites. Far from incendiary, the book is cleareyed and grounded. Several essays here provoked the surprising thought, “This is the sanest thing I have ever read on this topic.”

The book begins with an introduction explaining that some of the essays were inspired by “a growing agitation about what I perceived to be misunderstandings and fallacies spreading in cultural criticism and commentary.” Others center on personal experiences. Topics include: the evolution of internet gossip, the flawed social network Goodreads and the creep of the word “vulnerable” into arts criticism. The uniting idea, if there is one, seems to be about how people are using or absorbing media wrong, and how this is annoying.

The essays are long and unhurried, and the fare will be familiar to anyone who spends a lot of time online. Many of them involve Twitter discourses of the past few years. Martin Scorsese’s views on Marvel movies make an appearance, as do the online sagas of the writers Lauren Hough, Kathleen Hale and Elizabeth Gilbert, each of whom raised the hackles of the online reviewing community with a variety of consequences.

The first essay, “Embarrassment, Panic, Opprobrium, Job Loss, Etc.,” traces gossip through the 21st century, from the rise and fall of the website Gawker to #MeToo and whisper networks, and the notorious anonymously sourced list of “bad media men” that shook up the magazine world in 2017. These episodes are fluidly stitched together with added context from history and literature, which is the structure of most of the essays in the book. At its best, it feels like your smart friend explaining to you something you missed on the internet, why it’s important and what it means. Occasionally, it feels like your friend overexplaining these things.

Oyler is a sharp and confident critic, and some interpretations in the book are outstanding. For instance, her reading of the film “Tár,” in an essay called “The Power of Vulnerability,” suggests it is not about cancel culture, as many critics wrote when it first came out, but about what would happen if a woman acted like a man. She writes: “We see Tár from rise to downfall, playing the man the entire time. We see her being called maestro. … Most important, we see her in this astounding, unrealistic career, which, in reality, a woman like her would never achieve. Not only because she is a woman, but because she is a woman who acts like a man: cocky, selfish, self-important, rude, on closer inspection a total fraud.” This is an invigorating way to think about the film, and one that sidesteps trite notions of cancellation.

Likewise, in an essay about the forever war of irony versus sincerity, sparked by David Foster Wallace’s 1993 essay “E. Unibus Pluram” and rehashed every few years online, she proposes that the binary itself is fake. “These oppositions are, have always been, reductive, false: A complex work will almost always have both irony and sincerity, and it is possible to express sincere — or authentic, or true — feelings through irony, a rhetorical device that is useful when you want to represent the tension between two conflicting ideas at the same time.”

The collection’s most ambitious essay is an assessment of autofiction as a form rather than a genre. There are many interesting reflections here on Oyler’s own work (“Fake Accounts” is autofiction) and on the work of others — Vladimir Nabokov, Sheila Heti, Sally Rooney and more.

I had never considered, for example, the space between the reader’s projection of an author of autofiction, and who the author really is. That the author can play with this — either defying or reifying the reader’s preconceived notions — is a tool, and a very cool one.

Still, the book’s measuredness cuts both ways. While it likely demonstrates Oyler’s growth as a writer (you can’t be an edgelord all your life), it lacks the boldness of her novel and magazine writing. It is oddly safe. “TED Talks are stupid,” she writes. Well, yeah; The Onion launched a series making fun of them in 2012.

That these essays were written specifically for the book, meaning they did not run as magazine stories or pegged to news events, made me wonder, sometimes, at the why of them. Why these particular topics? Why this set of minor irritations? Is there anything new or definitive about them? Is there a sense of risk, aesthetically or otherwise?

Luckily, the execution is fresh enough to keep one reading. And the barbs, when they do come, are good — in the final essay, a cheap dentist is described as “a tan man in a linoleum hole.” Maybe it’s best to follow the book’s lead and approach it with equanimity: We can appreciate and mourn its maturity both at once.

NO JUDGMENT : Essays | By Lauren Oyler | HarperOne | 288 pp. | $28.99

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"The biggest misunderstanding" Essays and Research Papers

Salem Witch Trials: Biggest Misunderstandings In American History

Script: Today‚ we see the salem witch trials as being one of the biggest misunderstandings in American history and is still widely talked about however people are still not fully aware of what actually took place. So … what is the salem witch trials? The Salem Witch Trials starts off with an English Colony moving to America and starting the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During this time many people had brought the belief in witchcraft from england. There was a lot of anxiety amongst the settlements

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A Misunderstanding

AP English 27 March 2014 A Misunderstanding The fact that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn‚ a fictional book‚ has caused such an outcry from certain people is downright ridiculous...although somewhat understandable. Those who believe the word nigger is an unacceptable insult in every circumstance are completely narrow minded and stubborn because they are choosing to associate “nigger” with the worst type of connotation instead of emerging from David Foster Wallace’s “water” and viewing

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A Significant Misunderstanding

I once had a significant misunderstanding ‚ and it ended a relationship I didn’t want to end‚ but some of me thinks it was suppose to happen. So most people at my age have a Myspace profiles‚ so like them I do have a Myspace. Myspace is place where I can chat with friends and write some of my poems. But EVERY person’s Myspace has a password‚ that no one else knows. But someone knew mine‚ when I didn’t know they knew it. My relationship was going up and down a hill these days. Somehow I knew it

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cultural misunderstandings

Cultural Misunderstandings Darcy Lingg PSYC3540 – Culture‚ Ethnicity & Diversity Capella University March 2014 My example of a cultural misunderstanding is between a doctor and a Chinese patient. Are you drinking plenty of fluids? < Patient thoughts: I wonder why he is asking me that‚ what it is with these people and water > I don’t like the water here. It’s too cold. I don’t know what’s wrong with people here that they drink that. Really??? And what happens when you drink the

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Misunderstandings of Money

“Paul’s Case‚” Paul‚ the protagonist views money as the key to escape his poor life and live the fabulous life he deserves. As other factors shape Paul’s way of viewing money as the escape route‚ it only leads him to an undesirable path. Paul’s misunderstanding of the value of money leads to unrelenting disappointments‚ resulting in his tragic downfall. “Paul’s Case” by Willa Cather tells a story of a young boy who dreams the life of riches. He sees his life as an embarrassment and is ashamed of his

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Mistakes and Misunderstandings

’Mistakes and misunderstandings are painful when they occur." nevertheless as life goes on‚ these occurrences turn into experience that add value to relationships and life. When asked to define what a mistake really is‚ one would say it is an act of misdoing or perhaps even an error of judgement. However‚ as the word itself suggests‚ such misdoings are unintentional and the doer cannot be fully blamed for his/ her inaccurate action. on the other hand‚ a misunderstanding maybe elucidated as an unfortunate

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Cultural Misunderstanding

English 101 20 June 2012 A Cultural Misunderstanding Dr. Barbara Ehrenreich better known as a myth buster is best known for her non-fiction reportage‚ book reviews and social commentary. Her reviews‚ essays‚ op-eds‚ and feature articles have been widely published and have appeared in Harper ’s Magazine‚ The New York Times‚ Time Magazine‚ The Wall Street Journal‚ Life Magazine‚ The New Republic‚ and the New Statesman. Ms. Ehrenreich received her Ph.D. from The Rockefeller University in 1998

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communication misunderstandings

Misunderstanding #1 In my first example I was the sender. My role in the conversation is the District Manager. As the district manager at J P Morgan Chase‚ there are times when I have to engage in difficult conversations with my subordinates. I’ve got one subordinate in particular named Gayle who is the receiver of a specific message. She has always been unaccountable for her actions and typically combative towards anyone who is providing her with negative feedback. During our reading assignment

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The first time I ever visited United States was in the year 2002‚ as a tourist. I was excited and nervous both and was really looking forward for my first ever –Western experience. I was travelling with my international driving license and rented a nice beautiful SUV. I was ready and in gear for my adventure to start. While coming out of the parking lot I honked couple of times‚ once when I was close to someone walking on the road and once at the gate of the car rental building as the driver in

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Communication Misunderstanding

Communication Misunderstanding Assignment 1.1 Example 1 Who was the sender? My line supervisor (EA sports packaging and distribution) Who was the receiver? Me (Machine Operator) What was the message? “Pick it up!” What channel was used to send the message? Verbal What was the misunderstanding that occurred? I did not understand how much I should “pick it up.” The result was me turning my machine up to a speed that caused issues further down the line and eventually halting production.

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Narrative Essay About A Misunderstanding

Show More Memorable event: Misunderstanding One day in the sunny afternoon with the sun shining as if not wanted to set. I sat in City Park waiting my boyfriend. I looked around there no one people playing or just sitting in the park just only me alone. The sun shone brightly enough make the forehead and the back of my wet. I am curious why my boyfriend so long. I saw man carrying many books and sat near me in the same chair, he wearing glasses with tired face. I want ask or just talking anything because I am bored waiting my boyfriend. When I started to ask then he looked up, and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. “Hey you are Anton right?” I am surprised. Turn out he was my friend when I in senior high school. “shofura? Hey long time not …show more content… Anton falls backwards after getting hit on my boyfriend. His glasses broken and bloody nose. Anton did not fight him motionless to take a hit from my boyfriend. Rio his name. He’s tall and slim, with olive skin and curly dark hair. He was who I waited in City Park. He came and immediately attacked Anton with the face red and burning emotion. “Hey stop,, stop!!” I shouted like I am crazy and I am aghast saw the blood flowing from his nose and head …show more content… The fight was sparked the attention of passersby. I wonder why was deserted once and now there are several pairs of eyes look at the fights started by my boyfriend. “Please stop, there was all misunderstanding.” hugged Anton tried to defuse emotions I was trembling with fear and unconsciousness I have cried in the arms of Rio. I think my boyfriend is jealous because I cuddle with Anton, so I felt guilty. “I am sorry Rio it was my mistake, please stop” Rio shoved me in his arms and looked at my eyes. “It is not your fault honey, I am sorry” Rio said and wiped my tears. Then he put his arms around me and whispered in my ear. I was astonished and wondered what he means and then I helped Anton tried to treat his wounds with a clean the bruises on his nose and lips. After that I went to the market buying some medicine and cool drinks. I glance my watch show at 06.00 pm and the sun gone to set. I gave them both a cool drink and I hope everything will be fine. “All right one of you have to tell me what really happened? I am sure that both of you have relationship right?” I said start to ask both of them. “Please talk with me!” but they were both silent a thousand

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