5 Common Communication Mistakes In A Relationship

Empathy and the desire to know, respect and understand the partner are fundamental pillars for good communication in a relationship. 

Many problems can become disasters if you don’t talk about them in a relationship. For this reason, it is important to avoid communication mistakes, to choose honest and open conversations and to show mutual understanding. 

Communication failure in a relationship

It is not always easy to maintain healthy harmony in a relationship. This requires continuous effort and understanding on the part of both. 

Both partners have different life experiences and their own thoughts, actions and attitudes. Everyone has their own needs and expectations that  do not necessarily have to match those of the partner. That is quite normal in every relationship.

The problem is that we often make serious communication mistakes. With this we only achieve incomprehension and we cannot respect our counterpart and know what has a negative effect on the relationship.

In addition, communication errors often become a habit. The routine traps us in a situation from which we can no longer easily escape. For all of these reasons, in today’s article, we’re talking about common communication mistakes in a relationship that are easy to prevent.

5 common communication mistakes in a relationship

Mistake 1: Believing that more communication is better

Much does not mean high quality. The fact that a couple speaks often does not automatically mean that there is a special connection. You can talk for hours about trivial or irrelevant topics, which does not promote communication between the two partners.

If there is not a good basis for conversation right from the start,  communication can build on the wrong basis. This can lead to discussion rather than conversation, conflict and misunderstanding.

It is not necessary to speak a lot to enable good communication. But empathy and understanding are crucial in the discussions. We have to be able to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes.

Mistake 2: insisting on things for which there is no solution

In many cases there is  an issue or issue that pushes one of the partners to their limit. He won’t give in because of that and if you insist too much on it he might think that you don’t respect him, that you want to change or dominate him.

We always have to respect the other’s limits, just as the partner has to respect our own limits. Therefore, you shouldn’t keep insisting on things that bother the other, it will only lead to repetitive, toxic conversations. The result is not a solution, but negative energy.

3. Mistake: guessing or assuming things

This communication mistake is mainly made by couples who have been together for a long time. We often think that we already know our partner as well as we do. That is why we also believe that we can foresee his thoughts, answers and feelings. 

But this type of communication only leads to misunderstandings. When we think we know our partner too well,  we miss the chance to get true communication and actually understand each other deeply.

If we believe we can foresee the partner’s desires and thoughts, it  can also make them feel controlled. 

Mistake 4: Expecting your partner to be able to read your mind

You cannot assume that you can read your partner’s mind, but  you cannot expect your partner to be able to either. He doesn’t have to automatically know what you’re thinking or how you’re feeling.

In a relationship, both are two completely different beings with different opinions, experiences, desires and expectations. Therefore, a serious communication mistake is to believe that the other must know how we are feeling or what we are thinking. It doesn’t have to be like that.

On the contrary, you need to communicate with your partner in an efficient way, telling them how and why you are feeling one way or another. This is the only way you can build a good basis for healthy communication.

5. Mistake: Not considering the other person’s point of view

Empathy is the ability to identify with someone and share their feelings. It enables us to put ourselves in another person’s shoes and to empathize with them,  to understand their point of view, even if we do not share them, and to empathize with their feelings.

Logically, empathy is very important in a healthy relationship. On the one hand, it enables us to get to know the other in depth. On the other hand, we can use it to build an excellent basis for discussion and clear up misunderstandings.

However, many couples believe that it is not important to make an effort to understand the other. As we explained before, this is a mistake because we cannot assume that we already know what the other is feeling or thinking. We often think that no conversation is necessary because we already know the partner and what is going on in him.

But by doing this we lose the opportunity  to understand the partner, to know his feelings and to show our interest in him. 

Communication error: final remark

As you can see, most communication errors  are based on assuming things we don’t even know. But in this way we do not respect our partner as an independent person with his own personality.

We do not allow conversations because we think we already know everything about the partner, including what he is thinking and feeling at the moment. We don’t give the other person a chance to  express feelings because we think we already know them. 

But in a relationship in which there is  healthy and efficient communication, there must also be empathy and the desire to understand and really get to know the other for who they are.