Break-Up Advice

Many relationships face communication breakdown. The major reason for this is game playing by partners. One may be playing - I know better and the other may be playing - I am getting persecuted. There are many other such games that people play with each other. This game playing not only stops honest communication but also hurts self-esteem and may stunt growth. If one partner is always acting superior, the other may agree with him/her unwillingly to avoid conflict. The fear of conflict is more than correcting the partner. This increases over time, as the superior feeling partner knows that he/she can dictate terms. This again blocks any communication from the other partner.

Communication also cannot go forward if one of the partner’s has decided to stick to one point of view. After that he/she is not ready to listen to other's point of view at all. In another situation, if threatening tone is adopted, the communication stops. Some people don't listen to anything if they are threatened. Speaking loudly and stopping listening affect some people. There are many such barriers to communication in a relationship.

What is communication? Communication does not mean that one person speaks and the other listens. Communication means that the other person not only listens but also understands precisely what is being spoken. Communication may also be both verbal and non-verbal. To understand each other better and develop a healthy relationship of 'I respect you and you respect me', it is essential that communication is healthy.