Communication

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I've noticed that there is a large communication gap between me and my boyfriend. We never seem to understand each other which leads to lots of needless fights and disagreements. I mentioned this in my How do I... thread and it's true that I had something I wanted to communicate to him and he took it very differently from my intent and his feelings were hurt. It seems he can't see where I'm coming from and it's frustrating. And since some folks on here have also told me that I've misunderstood them as well as having family members tell me the same, I thought I ought to really look at how to fix the situation.

I may be reading my fears or what I think the other person means into my communication with them.

So how do I solve this? My first thought is to take more time after someone says something before responding, but it seems like when I do that the person thinks I'm ignoring them.

What are your best tips for communicating effectively and ensuring the other person understands you in such a way as not to hurt them or create confusion?