I have a little question. At what age are you to old to learn how to speak to people properly? I am asking because I have watched people (having conversations with other people) and it, sometimes, is like watching a car crash happen in slow motion. You know it is going to end badly, but you just can't stop looking.
Now I know that I am not the greatest at communication, but I am also not the worst at it either. I have enough skills to be able to have a conversation (and an argument) without making the other person (or people) want to melt my flesh off.
But some people don't seem to have had many opportunities practise inter-personal communication. When I talk to someone, I try and be as direct and honest as I can without hurting their feelings (if feelings are involved) but also not “sugar coating” things. In my experience, “sugar coating” things only achieves two goals:
it gives people the wrong impression and
Diabetes.
If you are direct, then you avoid lots of misunderstanding and confusion. I regularaly observe people having a conversation, and the amount of time that they spent trying to understand what the other person was saying, it is...astounding. In one situation, it was nearly half of the conversation. It was things like “Did you mean...?” “did you mean...?” “Are you saying that....?” “Can you please explain....to me?” I tried to help, but I don't think I really helped all that much.
I just think things would be more efficient if we were more direct in our conversations.
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