Contributed by: Jet on Tuesday, September 14 2010 @ 09:50 am
Last modified on
As a child reading literature in school, I felt tragedies were the most frustrating of all, because the problem often seems so simple: communication. More than a few Shakespearean tragedies come to mind. Othello gets mad at his wife and won't talk to her about it – several people wind up dead. Romeo and Juliet won't just defy their parents, and instead get too clever for their little pre-teen minds – several people wind up dead. When you're reading a play or watching a movie, watching events unfold, it's easy to think, “If they would just talk to each other honestly, this problem could be averted.” But can real, modern relationships really be as simple as that?
In short, yes. Most of the problems of couples I know all come back to communication. This doesn't just apply to romantic couples, by the way; roommates, best friends, family members all seem to have the same problems. “I don't like it when Fred leaves his dirty dishes out on the counter. I was raised to believe it's disrespectful to the living space,” I'll hear. “And have you explained this to Fred?” I'll ask. “Well, no,” the girl might say. “I've asked him not to leave his dishes out – shouldn't that be enough?” Well, maybe, but a little extra context and explanation might have driven the importance of the request home to poor Fred.
When it comes to two compatible people, there's very little that can't be solved with communication. It's understandable that there might be misunderstandings from time to time; after all, two people with completely separate histories and habits might clash over day-to-day routines. And, of course, no one is perfect; sometimes a person is simply inconsiderate and doesn't think to call when she's late, or maybe someone is feeling lazy and doesn't want to clear up the dishes. Humans aren't robots, and really that fact makes it all the more important to keep the lines of communication open, so resentment doesn't build.
As you go out into the dating world and meet new people, you'll be forging brand-new relationships, whether they wind up as friendship or something more romantic. Wouldn't it be nice to start off these relationships on the right foot? Wouldn't it be wonderful to say, “We've been open and honest with each other from the very beginning”? You have a chance to avoid a communication problem before it even begins. To pass up such an opportunity would, indeed, be a tragedy.