Understanding meaning is an amazingly complex process. The fact that we are able to have a thought in our head that can be transferred to another person’s head … even if not perfectly … is a miracle. We call it “communication”.
There is no shortage of examples where communication can break down. It is a lifetime learning opportunity to properly communicate to others what we intend, as well as listen to others in a way that obtains the other person’s meaning even when different experiences and knowledge make it easy to take things out of context. To make it more challenging, even the choice of words, vocal tone, and visual cues do not always match the intent. It’s not surprising that communication often breaks down. The amazing thing is that humans are able to communicate as well as we do.
Sometimes a simple story is based on just such gaps in what the words mean to us:
Upon entering a little country store, the stranger noticed a sign warning, “BEWARE OF DOG” posted by the door. Inside, he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor beside the cash register.
“Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of?” he asked the owner.
“Yep, that’s him,” came the reply.
The stranger couldn’t help but be amused. “That certainly doesn’t look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?”
“Because,” the owner explained, “before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him.“
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