If someone doesn’t understand something you’re explaining to them, treat it as your fault for failing to explain effectively, not their fault for not understanding
I’ve recently realized this is the root of most of the communication issues with my friends and family. I would try to explain something, for example: how to run the new dishwasher. If they failed to understand the process, I would get angry (not at them, just in general) and they would see it as a critique of their intelligence. The discussion would quickly turn into an argument and in the end everyone would just hate the new dishwasher.
So I started acting like it was my failure to explain the situation…even if it wasn’t. It totally changed the tone of my voice and made the person I was talking to more receptive to my instructions. Instead of turning into an argument or debate, it turns into a constructive teaching opportunity.
(CavemanCircus.com)
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