Tryin to Listen

People often say stuff. A whole lot of stuff. Everything they say and every word, gesture, tone, expression etc that they use, determines what message they are trying to convey. Some are good at it, and some are like me.
I’ve noticed how people can get so offended with one another by things that are said. If you’ve got close friends from other cultures or backgrounds or have been/are in a serious relationship, then I’m sure you know what I mean. I’m not even talking about people of different languages communication with one another, or emails or letters, I’m talking about face to face conversations. People really seem to struggle when it comes to communication, is it the communicators fault for not speaking in a way he can be understood, or the listeners fault for not trying to understand properly?

It’s only fair to ask that the listener actually tries to listen. What is the context? Who are we speaking to? What is their situation? Background? Ethnicity? Beliefs? Culture? Traditions? Everything plays a role in what we are trying to say, words are just the tip of the iceberg. I’m afraid your going to have to dig deeper to get the real picture.