Anyone learning a foreign language can tell you how complex it is to translate the subtleties of a language into another one, to convey the true or complete meaning of a word or phrase and how communicating across the language barrier can go terribly wrong.
It may happen that the essence and sense of something that is translated gets omitted, e.g. when something is translated too literally, or when there are words that don't have direct equivalents in another language. It may also happen that the listener does not understand what is being said, e.g. due to cultural differences or a different perspective on life.
However, a way more complex is interpreting the meaning of silence. When someone stops speaking to you without sharing the reason for doing so, you can get really lost in translation.
Silence gives too much room for doubt and for people to draw their own conclusions with half facts, half truths, bad information. It’s a destructive path, as the first stage of distrust begins with doubt … maybe there is someone else they’re talking to, maybe they were already involved, maybe you have been one-upped by the next person they met online or at a bar, maybe you did something wrong, maybe … maybe… maybe… we all inevitably start to wonder if we’re the only straightforward person left.
It surprises me how so many people, even the most successful ones and the ones you would least expect it from, can overlook or underestimate the value of communication.
Communication is and remains the only way to share meanings, understand differences, build trust and healthy connections, to make life work.
Last but not least, when you talk things out you not only create the circumstances for growth at any level, but you also cement the reality that the other person is a human being who deserves an explanation, no matter what.