💡 A Reflection on Listening, Learning, and Better Conversation

I might be one of those people.

I worry that I might be someone who always twists or misunderstands what others are saying. Because of this, I try to be very careful with my words.

It’s hard to have a good conversation with someone who always misunderstands what you say, no matter how good your intentions are. It’s even worse when they take that misunderstanding and create a completely wrong story out of it—that’s truly difficult to handle.

So, where does the real problem lie?

I don't think it's fair to simply blame the person who misunderstood. If someone hears something incorrectly, the speaker should stop and ask: "Why did they hear it that way? Could my words have caused that confusion?" We need to try to understand their point of view, clarify the issue, and then explain it again.

The Difficulty of Admitting Fault
That kind of effort isn't easy.

Most people think they are smart and rarely consider that others might be just as intelligent, or even more so. Truly admitting someone else is smarter than you is incredibly hard. It’s even harder than admitting your own mistake and fixing it.

It is rare to find someone who genuinely admits their fault and decides to start fresh, like pouring new wine into a new bottle. This makes me realize just how difficult it is for anyone to admit they were wrong.

A Need for Improvement
I admit I might be guilty of this too.

That's why it is so important to truly understand what is being said. To understand well, you must listen well. If you don't understand something, it's better to swallow your pride, apologize, and honestly say, "I didn't quite catch that," or "Could you explain that again?"

I've lived a very free, almost wild life. Because of that, I have a kind of "wild nature," but I don't know how to speak or act in a polished, refined way.

If I want to do well in life—especially with my business where I aim to succeed alongside many others—I need to learn better ways to communicate, even now.

So, if anyone knows of good advice, training, or resources for improving conversation skills, please let me know. I would be very grateful.

The Power of Communication
I believe this kind of learning becomes very important as we age. It's like a tool that can help prevent cognitive decline and ensure a graceful, elegant later life.

There's a saying: "The best defense is a good offense." Likewise, consistently improving your mind and communication skills can be the best defense for your overall health.

To truly communicate well, speaking ability is important, but avoiding blaming others is crucial. You should look for the source of every problem within yourself, not in others. If you try to place the blame on someone else, the problem may never be solved.

Life is simply about solving the problems that have already arrived or are coming. A life without problems might not be happy—it might even be despairing. A perfectly still lake is quiet, but only the one with small, wind-blown ripples can catch the beautiful, golden light of the sun or moon.

Sometimes, even advice given with the best intentions can end up doing more harm than good. This is what makes communication so difficult.

Silence is golden, but words are like food. If you serve a meal that the person doesn't enjoy, you won't get good feedback, even if you did your best to prepare it. When we serve our words (like serving rice), we must pay attention to the listener's taste. Asking, "Did you enjoy the meal?" after serving bad food is foolish, because their face will clearly show their true feeling.

Thank you.