How Does Miscommunication Cause Conflict
While astrology is fun and we can all learn something from it, it’s important to note that the stars are not a definitive answer for why one person may be a complete douchebag or downright mean. Sadly, many men believe that being nonchalant, blunt, rude, or "honest" are attractive character traits, which more often than not leads to a breakdown in communication between them and their partners, whether platonic or romantic.
This will then lead them to bash women and tell them they need tough skin or are too sensitive, which most women take as a punch to the gut, prompting extreme changes to their personality or even their physical appearance. Miscommunication—whether intentional or not—occurs when a message is not conveyed or interpreted as intended between the sender and the receiver.
It can arise from unclear, incomplete, or ambiguous communication, leading to misunderstandings or incorrect interpretations. Miscommunication can happen through spoken or written words, body language, or tone, often resulting in confusion, frustration, or conflict. Factors like cultural differences, assumptions, distractions, or emotional states can also contribute to miscommunication. Essentially, it’s when the intended message is lost, distorted, or misunderstood, causing a breakdown in effective communication.
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Many memes and videos float around poking fun at this occurrence, mainly between a man and a woman who are intimate or romantically linked. For some, this type of breakdown in communication can correlate to a lack of interest or "keeping someone on their toes," but the reality is, it’s all toxic, especially if done intentionally to cause confusion. Deliberately ignoring someone, responding with one-word answers, or taking hours, sometimes days, to reply can lead to misunderstandings as well as miscommunication.
It’s all too common now for single men to pursue a woman with no real intention of making her a girlfriend, let alone a wife and mother to his children. It’s usually a game played to keep a roster full of women and their options open. So what do they do? They respond late, forget important details about the women they are dating or pursuing, and intentionally create confusion by not giving clear and concise answers to questions the woman may have about the nature of their relationship.
We’ve heavily discussed the importance of not wasting your time with someone who is not intentional when it comes to dating. Additionally, we know that for the average man, they are not seeking women on dating apps or at mixers to whom they want to commit seriously. It’s not uncommon for dating events like speed dating to lack men or attract lower-quality men.
This is because men often want a challenge—just as some women want to turn the "bad boy" into a romantic guy, men want a woman who is ungettable, who they have to impress. If a woman is impressed by a man and his bare minimum, there is no challenge, which will almost always lead to a breakdown in communication.
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So, is it miscommunication, or are you just too easy? Take the poll below to find out.
Feminine energy is observant; she recognizes the signs of bad treatment and communication in a relationship and does not entertain it. It’s simple: write down your boundaries and stick to them. If you want a man who communicates daily and you’ve shared this expectation with your potential partner on date one, and he fails to do just that, it’s okay to go silent and allow him the space to reflect on his actions towards you.
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Men are action-oriented and will naturally only do what is in their best interest. You have to get him to see that impressing you and valuing you is in his best interest. Otherwise, he will steamroll over you, and you will fall lower on his list of priorities. When a man no longer sees the benefit of keeping you happy in a relationship, he will say and do things to push your buttons, but he doesn’t fear the consequences because, let’s face it, there aren’t any. Conflict only arises when one party is more invested than the other, and the person with the least amount of interest holds the most power.
Tips for not losing your power in a relationship or during the courting stage:
Go silent when a man does something that is not to your liking —this can include asking for a photo of you, even though you are both friends on Instagram and you post regularly.
Have boundaries and stick to them —it’s one thing to tell a man that you don’t like calls after 10 p.m., but it’s entirely different if he does it and there are no consequences for his actions. Don’t answer the phone, and again, go silent.
No courting, no kitty kat —please stop having sex with men who are not properly courting you. Courting can look like many things, and it’s not up to us or social media to dictate how you want to be courted. Something as simple as getting tickets to a ballet or your favorite sporting event could be considered courting for you, so go for it. You don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant and see a $400 dinner bill to determine if the person you’re dating is serious about you. Communicate your likes and interests and allow that person the space to execute. If he doesn’t or lacks enthusiasm in doing so, it’s safe to say he’s not looking for anything serious. In that case, you should not only go silent but block him.
Stay busy —both men and women have intuition. Women know if he’s cheating, and men know when you’re in love or sprung. Once you show that you’re willing to drop everything to spend time with him or be in his presence daily, he may start providing vague responses and roll back on courting you. You don’t want this to become habitual. So, be sure to say no sometimes and spend time on your own. Get a hobby and enjoy solo date nights.
All in all, miscommunication doesn’t have to cause conflict. Once you establish your boundaries and stick to them, you’ll be fine.
by Danielle Wright
