The Power of Precision in Communication

About a year ago, I told someone I couldn’t be in a relationship with him because I had commitment issues. He was really confused because he’s known me for years and definitely knew that was not true but also respected my decision. Interestingly, it turned out that I didn’t even understand the meaning of commitment issues because trust me, I’m probably one of the committed people you’ll ever meet when I make up my mind. So while I said I had commitment issues, I meant to tell him I wasn’t ready to commit which were two different things.

Fast forward to today, a very old friend of mine saw me today and told me he had a grudge with me. He said I said something to hurt him some years back and that’s what made me distant because he hasn’t been able to get over it. I was very curious so I asked what I said and he replied that I told him he was an egomaniac. The funny part is that I actually remember saying it, so I owned it with my full chest and repeated it yet again that it’s still what I think of him.

He looked at me and asked why. So I told him, isn’t it normal? Because every man has an ego. He then asked me if I meant he has an ego or if he’s an egomaniac. Ladies and gentlemen, I was so confused. I genuinely thought they were the same thing. He looked at me, shook his head, and began to laugh.

I couldn’t also help but laugh because I got to realize while I said he was an egomaniac, in my mind, I was trying to say he had ego. And that was normal because everyone has an ego. I quickly apologized and told him to forgive me. I was kind of sad about it that my miscommunication became a burden on someone for years.

We hear so many talks about communication. They always say communication is very important, but I’m beginning to understand as years pass by that it’s not just about communicating; it’s also about comprehension and composition. It’s not just about saying what’s on your mind. It’s about making sure that you compose your thoughts well enough to explain them exactly as they are.

In my case, I definitely communicated because the last time I checked, communication is basically exchanging information, thoughts, ideas, and so on. But the problem came from my comprehension and composition. I’m sure I’m not the only one who faces this. Sometimes you think one thing and your mouth says another thing, and until you’re prompted, you don’t even realize you’ve said a different thing.

I’ll repeat it again that comprehension and composition are very crucial in communication. It is very important to pause, reflect, and align your words before saying them each time, and that is definitely what I’m going to do now. Most importantly, I think I’m going to be myself all the time because with that, I don’t really make mistakes when I’m composing whatever is in my head for whoever I’m talking to.