There are many ways to be misunderstood.

Some of them are almost imperceptible.

The meaning of words is often very nuanced. Often the context will help us to identify the meaning. It thus is quite easy to distinguish “this makes sense” from “I sense this”. Whereas interpreting the word “sense” would have been less evident.

But how does this work with words for which there only is an individual meaning?

Words like cozy, love, freedom, respect have a lexical meaning as well as an individual interpretation.

What I find respectful might not be respectful to my neighbor.

The way I live my freedom might lack flexibility for others

And yet, we assume that they are the same for us.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter.

In other times it means that we don’t know what behavior others expect from us.

That’s a way to move into conflict.