Two people can describe the same conversation as if they had attended different events. Everyone remembers the words that were important to them and brings earlier experiences and expectations into them.
When there is a misunderstanding, it is not enough to just repeat what we wanted to say. We need to hear what the other person has understood and what they base their conclusion on.
We can distinguish what happened from the interpretation we add to it. Which sentence was spoken? What did we conclude from it? Is there another explanation? Such a conversation does not have to end in agreement, but it can prevent the relationship from being further built on an assumption that no one has checked.
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