I believe co-author Nicholas Epley, of the article “Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication”, is correct when he said “Our problem in communicating with friends and spouses is that we have an illusion of insight”( Epley, 2012). I personally feel like my husband and I sometimes mix signals and misconstrue the meaning of things that are said. Communication is not only made through words, but more importantly through the tone and body language as well. I feel like my husband and I have to work on our communication often to keep a close relationship. It is extremely important to understand the people closest to you. If nothing else, it shows you care about how they are feeling.
One major cause for miscommunication, for me personally, is the use of texting. Many times I have sent a message or read one from someone else and the message has been conveyed as something else. If either person is in a bad mood or defensive then they may assume there is sarcasm with an agreement. When I get to the point where I realize there may be another tone the person would be taking if they were speaking with me, I just make a call. A situation like this can arise quite quickly but may also be extinguished even quicker.
My example would be the time I was asked for a favor by my sister in law and I agreed to it. She felt vulnerable when asking me so when I told her “ya, of course”, she assumed I was reluctant to do so because my choices of words were not as elaborate as she would have liked. I sensed some tension in the next few messages so I called her to resolve the issue and assure her I was more than happy to help.