On Communicating

Stepping out of the shower this AM, I was greeted by the sounds of my two kids in an argument downstairs. At 8 & 5, they are both Star Wars fans and we have a bunch of the DVDs. In selecting which one to watch later today at their grandparent’s they had got caught up in an argument about Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader the root of which was a confusion over Star Wars IV vs. I and which was the “first one.” In any case, my 5-year old was confused, and my oldest was right.

But rather than recognize his confusion, my eldest just kept arguing her point, louder and louder. She was so focused on being right rather than clearing up the misunderstanding, that an argument ensued. A minor one, but nevertheless, a little bit of conflict to start the day.

How often does that happen to you?

This was a great reminder for me that too often our conflicts and miscommunications are about holding our position and being right. Wouldn’t it be better to seek out the point of divergence or confusion and work on that?